Shattered
by danceisthewindowtoyoursoul
Summary: It was the sort of thing you saw on the news, you know? Never in a million years would you think something like that could affect you. It was kind of thing that happened to other people, not to people like her. Told through Cat and Robbie's POVs depending on what fits the chapter best.
1. Chapter 1

_Robbie's POV_

"Robbie!" A familiar voice calls from somewhere not so far away

I look up from my phone screen to see my beautiful girlfriend, Cat Valentine, approaching the car.

I smile at her and lean across the passenger seat to open the door for her. She throws her purse on the floor and slides in.

"Hello gorgeous." I greet her with a kiss "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." She giggles in the most adorable way that only _she_ can "Let's go."

Tonight is a big night for Cat and me. It's our fourth anniversary, a milestone that very few couples our age reach. The only people I can think of that have made it longer are Beck and Jade, and they're already engaged.

I can't say I haven't thought about popping the question, because that would be a lie. I want to spend the rest of my life with Cat, but right now, I'm still not sure if we're ready.

"So will you tell me where we're going now?" Cat asks as we drive towards the highway

"Nope." I smirk "I told you, I'm spoiling you tonight."

"And that means everything has to be a surprise?"

"Fine." I chuckle "We're going to Culver City, but that's all I'm telling you."

"What's in Culver City?" She asks "Sorry, I'll stop asking questions now."

"You'll love it, I promise." I tell her, reaching over with my right hand to grab her left and lacing our fingers together

For some reason, I'm not sure why, I've always found driving on the highway relaxing. I mean, as long as you keep up with the speed limit, stay in your lane and change when you need to, there's not really all that much you have to worry about. Unless of course, it's rush hour. Then you're fucked, especially in Los Angeles.

Lucky for us though, it's _not_ rush hour. It's only about 7:30, so it's not completely dark yet, but it's getting there.

"Goin' a little fast, aren't ya?" Cat raises an eyebrow at me

"I'm only going ten over." I assure her "I don't want to miss our reservation."

"So we're going out to dinner!"

"I never said that." I smirk "Just hold on, we'll be there soon."

"Holing on." She laughs, grabbing the handle on the door

"Very funny." I roll my eyes

We drive on for a little longer. Eventually, Cat leans forward and turns the radio to some pop station, and begins to song to the lyrics now blaring from the speakers.

"Are we almost there?"

"Uh..." I glance down to look at the directions I had printed and now have sitting on the floor of the car "We should be there in abou-"

Ahead of us, I see taillights swerving, revealing a bright pair of headlights heading our direction

"ROBBIE!" Cat screams

I drop her hand and grip the wheel, steering hard left. For a brief millisecond, it looks like we'll make it. But the oncoming car clips the back of mine, and sends us spinning into oncoming traffic in the other lane. I hear a horn start blaring as I reach for Cat's hand again, but I can't find it before my entire world goes black.

* * *

I open my eyes and the world slowly starts to come into focus again. It's pitch black, except for the red and blue light illuminating the area surrounding me. I'm lying on my side and every part of my body aches, while a trail of blood streams down the side of my face.

"Cat?" I whisper

"I found the driver!" A voice yells

Within seconds I'm surrounded by what I can only assume are paramedics. One of them shines a light in both my eyes, while the other wipes the blood away.

"Where's Cat?" I ask them "Is she okay?"

"Who's Cat?"

"That must be the passenger." One of them says "Can I get a gurney over here please?"

"I'm fine." I insist "Really, I'm fine. Go help Cat."

"They're trying." He tells me

 _Only trying?_

The two of them lift me up on the gurney and start moving me in the direction of the ambulance.

"This is ambulance 84," The paramedic says into his radio "We've got the passenger from the crash on route ten. Caucasian male, around twenty years old, possible concussion and..."

I don't hear the rest of his report, I black out again before I even make it into the ambulance.

* * *

I flinch and startle myself awake.

"Alright he's waking up." A familiar female voice says "Remember, put your brave faces on."

I open my eyes only to find myself staring at a white ceiling.

"Hey Robbie..." The voice speaks again "How are you feeling?"

I look up to see the voice belongs to Tori. She's sitting on a couch next to Jade, Andre sits in a plastic chair next to them, and Beck leans against the wall.

"My head hurts." I admit

I glance around the room again. It looks like...

 _A hospital._

"Probably because you have a concussion." Andre tells me

"A concussion." I repeat "What...what happened? Where am I?"

"Hollywood Hospital." Tori tells me "You were in a car accident."

The bright headlights, the blaring horns and flashing lights, the paramedics...it all comes rushing back.

"Right." I sigh "I think I remember. There's was a car coming at us head on...I tired to swerve to avoid it, but it clipped me..."

"Yeah." Tori nods "It pushed you into oncoming traffic and you were hit head on by a pick up truck. It threw you right out of the car."

"Am I okay?"

"Well like Andre said, you have a concussion." Beck sighs

"A broken leg...a dislocated shoulder..." Tori adds "A few scrapes and bruises, there's stitches in your forehead, but you're going to be okay."

"Cat..." I blurt out "Cat was in the car with me!"

Jade covers her mouth with her hand and turns away from me. Beck walks over to her and sits down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She turns and buries her face in his neck.

"What happened to Cat?" I yell, although I don't mean to

"Robbie." Tori says calmly "Calm down..."

"Calm down?" I exclaim "I bring up Cat and Jade, _JADE_ starts crying. Nothing phases her but she's _crying_ and you expect me to _calm down_?"

"Just tell him." Beck sighs

"I don't know if I can..." Tori whispers

"I'll do it." Andre stands up, straightens his shirt out and sits at the foot of my bed

"Don't sugar coat it." I shake my head, already feeling the tears start to form in my eyes

"So um...you...you were thrown out of the car but Cat...well she wasn't." He tells me as Jade begins to cry harder "Your car ended up wrapped around that pick up...and so did Cat. She was pinned inside, the fire department ended up cutting her out."

"Is she okay?"

"Man, I wish I could tell you yes...I wish I could." He shakes his head and I see Tori brush away a tear "Um...let's see. She broke her collar bone, both her legs...an arm, a couple ribs..."

"Stop!" Jade begs "Andre please."

"No..." I whisper "I want to know."

"She's really beat up, Rob." He frowns "They said she has bruises and gashes all over, and her spinal cord is severely compressed. If she recovers, she'll probably never walk again. It's messed up pretty bad. Her lungs-"

"But she's going to recover." I cut him off "Right?"

"They don't know." He admits "But the odds are pretty stacked against her."


	2. Chapter 2

_Robbie's POV_

"Hi sweetie." My mother sighs sympathetically, entering my hospital room with my father "Glad to see you're awake finally."

She carries a bouquet of flowers and a 'Get Well Soon' balloon.

"I wish I was still asleep." I admit "I wish this was just some terrible nightmare I could wake up from and return to normal."

"We know it's hard." My dad sighs "But the important thing is that you're okay."

"And you're on the road to recovery." My mom adds "You're lucky it wasn't worse."

"Have you..." I hesitate

"Have we what, sweetheart?"

"Have you seen Cat at all?" I ask

Her face drops.

"No. I'm afraid we haven't." She frowns "She's in the trauma ward, that's family only. They very rarely make exceptions."

"I wanna see her." I say flatly "They have to make an exception for me."

"We're not her family." My dad tells me "We don't have the authority to make that call. We spoke to her parents in the waiting room earlier, they said they'd come talk to you when they get the chance to."

"They probably hate me." I sigh

"No sweetie, no." My mom shakes her head "They know it wasn't your fault. You did what you could."

"But it wasn't enough." I whisper as a tear slides down my cheek

"Baby..." she sighs, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me into a hug, mindful of my shoulder "Don't cry, everything is going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

* * *

Later that day, I lay awake in my hospital bed, watching reruns of the Big Bang Theory on my TV. The nurses are telling me that I'll more than likely be discharged sometime tomorrow, and that I'll probably be able to be back in class sometime next week, once I adjust to using my crutches.

I was the lucky one. My injuries, while serious, aren't life threatening. That should make me happy. But it doesn't. All I can think about is Cat, laying broken somewhere in the trauma ward, somewhere two floors above me.

Just the thought of the words 'trauma ward' make me uneasy. That's the kind of thing you hear about in those documentaries they show you in high school to scare you out of drinking and driving. Not someplace you ever imagine anybody you _actually_ know winding up, especially your girlfriend.

My beautiful girlfriend, who is perfect in everyway, and possibly the sweetest human being on the face of this planet. She was always so nice to everybody, and everyone loved her. She didn't do anything to deserve this, so why did it have to happen to her?

"Robbie?" There's a knock on my door

I look over.

"Mr. Valentine." I say "Hi."

"Can I come in?" He asks

I nod, and he enters my hospital room, taking a seat on the couch next to my bed.

"I just want you to know..." He sighs "We're not blaming you for what happened. We're blaming the fucking idiot who decided to drive the wrong way down interstate ten and started this whole thing."

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes." He nods "His blood alcohol content was over three times the legal limit. He ended up crashing after he clipped you and hit the guard rail."

"Did he survive?"

"He walked away unharmed except for a broken arm." I see his face fill up with rage "But he'll most likely be in jail for the rest of his life. At least if I have anything to do with it."

"How's..." I hesitate "How's Cat?"

"I'm not going to lie to you." He sighs "She's not well. That's why I came down to talk to you instead of her mother. It's tearing her apart. The only time she ever leaves her side is when she goes in for surgery."

"Surgery?"

"There's been two so far." He tells me "One on her elbow, and another one this morning on her back to try to take some of the pressure off her spinal cord."

"Has she been awake at all?" I ask

"No." He shakes his head "I know she's still in there though, you can just _feel_ it."

"She's not going to go down without a fight." I agree "How bad is it?"

"She's not breathing on her own yet." He says and I literally feel my heart drop into my stomach "She's been on a ventilator since she got here."

"Andre said her spinal cord..." My voice begins to shake "her spinal cord was damaged. That she might never walk again."

I immediately regret bringing that up as tears fill the eyes of the man who I've never seen get legitimately upset over anything.

"She's paralyzed from the waist down." He sniffs "Um...there's a good chance she'll never walk again."

"Oh my god." I cry, leaning back "This is all my fault."

"No Robbie." He stops me "Don't say that, none of this is your fault!"

"If I had just made the reservation half an hour earlier, or picked a different restaurant..." I shake my head "Taken the back roads instead of the highway maybe..."

"You had no way of knowing..." He sighs, drying his tears "There's no use in going through all of the 'what if's. You'll drive yourself insane."

"I wish it had been me instead of her." I admit "Then I could take all the pain instead."

"Then I'd be sitting here with her listening to her say the same thing."

"I know." I sigh "I know. I just want to see her. Can I see her?"

"I'll work on it for you." He promises "Don't worry, we'll get you to her. When, I'm not sure. But we'll get you in."

"Thank you, Mr. Valentine." I say "Let me know if you or Mrs. Valentine need anything, I'll be happy to do help you out in anyway I can."

"Just work on recovering first." He tells me, standing up "Then worry about us, okay?"

I nod to show I understand, but I don't necessarily agree with him.

"I know what you're thinking." He chuckles "My daughter is lucky to have someone who cares about her as much as you do."


	3. Chapter 3

_Robbie's POV_

"I can do it on my own." I insist

"Alright." My mom throws her hands up in surrender "Just trying to help."

"Well don't." I huff, crutching up the driveway towards my parents house.

I wanted to go back to my dorm when I was released from the hospital, but my parents I insisted I stay at home until I was 'adjusted'. Why their house where my bedroom is on the second level is better than my dorm room on the first floor of the building, I don't know. But I was too exhausted to argue with them, I haven't exactly slept much the past few nights.

Cat's progress has flat lined, from what I've been told at least. She's not getting any better, but at least she's not getting any worse. She still hasn't woken up, or even opened her eyes at all. She's still on a ventilator, and about the time I was being discharged, she was undergoing another surgery on her back. Her parents still haven't gotten me permission from the doctors to visit her. Although I pray they will soon.

I broke my left leg, so I can still drive myself to class. Or at least I could in theory. My car was totaled beyond repair in the accident, so until the insurance company finds me a rental, one of my parents will have to take me. I feel like I could go back now, but my parents and my doctors want me to wait a few days to give my concussion some time to heal. I honestly just want something to distract me from the thought of my girlfriend, the light of my world, laying broken in a hospital bed.

"At least let me help you upstairs?" My mom offers

"Fine." I sigh, handing her my crutches

I grab the railing with one hand and loop my other arm around hers, slowly hopping slash hobbling my way upstairs. It's amazing the things you take for granted when you're not even thinking about them.

"You should probably take a nap." She tells me when we reach the top of the staircase "You'll probably sleep better in your own bed than in the hospital."

"That's the plan." I sigh "If I'm not awake my five can you wake me up please?"

"Do you have somewhere to be?" She raises an eyebrow at me as she passes my crutches back to me

"The hospital?" I remind her "I'm going to go up and sit with Cat's parents for a while."

"That's nice of you to want to do honey..." She sighs "But they're going to want to be with Cat until the visiting hours are over, and you don't have permission to go in yet."

"But the minute I get permission, I want to be there." I tell her "I don't want her to think I've abandoned her."

"I think she'll understand." She says sympathetically "Besides, they said she's not even awake yet anyway."

"That doesn't mean she can't sense who's there and who's not."

"I'm not going to argue with you, Robert." She says "Go lay down for a while, I'll get you when dinner is ready."

"Fine." I turn to start down the hallway

"Hey." She stops me, standing face to face with me and planting a kiss on my forehead "I'm so happy you're okay. You have no idea how frightening it was to get that phone call."

"I'll be happy when Cat is home with me." I tell her, then turn and crutch into my bedroom

I close the door behind me and kick the shoe off my right foot.

The only time I'm ever in my room anymore is during summer and school breaks, or the occasional weekend I decide to make the fifteen minute drive home. It looks basically the same as it did when I was in high school. It's relatively clean too, since I'm not here that often to make it messy.

I sit down on the bed, lay my crutches down on the floor, then lay down myself. First on my back, staring up at the ceiling. Then eventually turning over to lay on my side, facing my bedside table.

My eyes immediately lock on the picture of Cat and I from our senior prom I have framed and sitting there. That night has been one of the best in my entire life. She looked so gorgeous, and we had so much fun. I remember tiring out around nine o'clock, but Cat insisted we keep going and dragged me back out into the middle of the dance floor.

She loved to dance, she always had, and she still does. At least she did. Now she might never be able to dance again. Will she want to sing? Will she still be the same always effervescent, lovable person she's always been?

I can't afford to think like that right now. So with tears in my eyes and a shaking hand, I reach out ad knock the picture frame over.

It doesn't matter to me what the odds say. Cat has to make a full recovery.

She just has to. I won't be able to stand losing any part of her in anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

_Robbie's POV_

There's something depressing about hospitals.

Even if your there to visit a friend who just a baby, the sterile environment just...puts a damper on things.

Everything is white or tan or some other neutral color. And while it can be depressing, in theory it should make it easy to get school work done. That is, if you're not constantly looking up at the doorway that leads back to the trauma ward waiting for one of your girlfriend's parents to appear. Like I am.

I understand that no news is probably good news, but it's still nerve wracking. I keep hoping that one of them will appear in the waiting room with a huge smile on their face and tell me 'She's awake, she wants to see you!'.

But the only people who have come out of the trauma ward in the past hour and a half are nurses changing their shifts. So I sit in one of the plastic waiting room chairs, working on an assignment for my Mathematical Fluid Mechanics course. I've missed enough school already, the last thing I need is to fall even further behind.

I glance at my watch, it reads 6:38. I haven't eaten a real meal since lunch this morning, I've only snacked on and off. The food in the hospital cafeteria sucks, I know that from my own stay here just a few days ago, so it looks like I'll have to settle for something from the vending machine.

I move my textbook off my lap and grab my crutches from the chair next to me. The few other people in the room with me stare as I hobble my way over to the row of machines on the far wall. My selections consist of basically chips, cookies and pretzels. There's the occasional candy bar thrown into the mix, but I know that will do nothing for me. Especially if I'm going to be here all night.

Leaning onto my crutches for support, I fish my wallet out of my pocket and open it, pulling out a few crumpled bills. As I do so, a sheet of paper falls to the floor. I reach down to grab it, but a little girl, who had been standing at the machine next to me, stops me.

"I'll get it." She says quietly as she reaches down to get it

"Thanks." I can't help but smile

She can't be more than ten or eleven years old.

She picks the paper up and turns it over. It's a photograph.

"Is this your girlfriend?" She asks, I nod "She's really pretty."

"Thank you." I say

"I like her hair." She giggles "It's red like mine, but it's a different kind of red."

"Yeah." I tell her "She dyes it."

"What color is it actually?"

"Brown."

"Like yours?"

"Yeah." I chuckle "A little bit like mine."

"Here." She hands the picture back to me

"Thanks." I stick the picture pack in my wallet and tuck it into my pocket

"Can I push the button for you?" She asks

"Sure." I shrug "E8."

She stands up on her tiptoes and pushes the buttons, and my bag of pretzels falls into the chute. She retrieves them and hands them to me.

"Thanks kiddo." I smile

"You're welcome!" She grins, and then skips back to a man sitting across the room, which I can only assume is her father.

I pinch the bag of pretzels between two of my fingers and crutch over to the desk.

"Um, excuse me?" I clear my throat "Miss?"

"I don't have any new information on your girlfriend." She sighs, not even looking away from her computer screen "If they give me anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks." I say and crutch back to my textbook

I set it back on my lap and grab my notebook, beginning to work on another problem. But not before glancing up at the door.

Nothing.

Back to homework.

"That looks hard." The same little girl from the vending machine says, making me jump

I hadn't even noticed she had been standing next to me again.

"Yeah it's a little difficult." I chuckle, glancing up at the man she had been sitting with

He waves me off, letting me know it's okay to continue talking to her.

"Are you in junior high?" She asks "I'm going to junior high next year."

"No, I'm actually in college." I tell her "I'm almost done though."

"I'm almost done with fifth grade!" She smiles

"Awesome." I smirk and continue on with my homework

"What's your name?"

"Robbie."

"I'm Brittney."

"Hi Brittney." I smile and extend my hand to her "Nice to meet you."

"So what are you doing here?" She asks "Did your Daddy get hurt too?"

I feel my stomach drop again, and I'm not sure if it's because I pity myself, or if it's because I pity her.

"No." I shake my head "I'm here waiting to see...my girlfriend, the girl from the picture."

"Oh." She frowns "The one with the red hair?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"She got hurt?"

"Kind of." I sigh "Um...I don't really want to talk about it. So...Brittney?"

"yeah?"

"If you're here because your Daddy is...who's that guy over there?"

"Oh!" She perks up "That's my Uncle Zach."

She smiles and waves to the man, he waves back.

"I don't usually come here." She tells me "Usually I go to my grandma's, but she couldn't watch me today. So Uncle Zach had to bring me to sit."

"Oh I'm sorry." I say

"It's okay." She shrugs "Mommy will be here soon to get me."

As she says that a woman enters the waiting room.

"Brittney!" She calls "Come on, time to go."

"That's my mom." She grins "I gotta go, bye Robbie! I hope your leg gets better."

"Bye Brittney." I laugh as she runs off

While she distracted me from getting my work done, she also distracted me from worrying about Cat.

I just want to see her. I want to hold her hand and tell her that I'm there for her and that everything is gonna be okay. No matter what the circumstances are.


	5. Chapter 5

_Robbie's POV_

"What time will you be back tonight?" My dad asks as I shift my phone from one ear to the other

"I'm not sure." I respond "Probably the usual."

"Look, Rob..." He sighs "I'm not sure it's really good for you to be sitting at the hospital all the time. What about your school work?"

"I told you, Dad." I groan "I'm keeping up. It's not like I have anything else to do _besides_ schoolwork while I'm sitting here."

"That's sort of what I'm getting at." He tells me "You go sit at school all day, and then you go sit at the hospital all night. It's not good for you. I mean, I know you want to be there for Cat, I know th-"

"What if it was Mom?" I ask him "Wouldn't you want to be there for her?"

"I've been with your mother for thirty years Robbie." He sighs "And I love her. Of course I would."

"Then let me..." My voice starts to shake "Let me be here for Cat. Because _I_ love _her_."

"Robbie I didn't mean to imply tha-"

"I'll be home when visiting hours are over." I tell him, then hang up, crutching back to my chair

I know he's right. I do spend all of my time at school and at the hospital. But it's like I told him, I love Cat. And when she wakes up, I want to be able to tell her I was there for her the entire time, even when I wasn't allowed to actually be _with_ her. I hope I'll get to tell her that soon.

I can't stand not knowing how she's doing. Well, I mean, I do know how she's doing, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine keep me as updated as they can, but I can't actually see her to know they're telling the truth. I'm not scared they're keeping anything from me, that she's actually doing better than they say. I'm scared they're sugar coating it, and that she's actually worse off. I try to shake that thought from my head.

"Robbie." Mr. Valentine says, walking towards me

"Hi, Mr. Valentine." I smile

"Hey." He sits down next to me "How's your leg?"

"It's gettin' better. I mean, the cast won't be off for a while, but I'm getting adjusted to the crutches."

"That's good." He smiles "I'm happy to hear that."

"Mr. Valentine..." I sigh "You know I don't want to talk about myself."

"Yeah." He nods "Yeah I know that."

"So...how is she?"

"She gave us a real scare this morning." He admits "Her blood pressure plummeted."

"What?" I feel sick to my stomach

"It's alright." He puts a hand on my shoulder "They were able to get it back to where it needs to be."

"So she's still..."

"I wish I could tell you she made some kind of progress, I really do." He shakes his head "But she's still staying in the same place, not any better-"

"But not any worse." I finish for him, I've heard the same line from both her parents multiple times "Hey...um...Mr. Valentine?"

"Yeah?"

"If nothing has changed...do you think you talk to the nurses and get me in?" I ask "I mean...it's not like I'll be hurting anything."

"Robbie I-"

"Mr. Valentine, please." I beg "Please..."

"I'll talk to them..." He tells me, standing up "Just...don't get your hopes up."

I nod as he turns and starts making his way to the desk.

I'm not going to lie, my hopes are up. _Way_ up. I just want to see her. I don't car how broken or bruised she is, I just want to be with her. Let her know that i'm here for her no matter what.

Mr. Valentine says a few things to the nurse at the desk and she disappears into the hallway.

"She's going to talk to Cat's doctor." He tells me, walking back my direction

"Okay."

"It's his decision." He reminds me

"Yeah I know."

"Paul." The nurse, now back at the desk "You can go ahead and take him back if you'd like."

"Really?" I smile

"Apparently so." Mr. Valentine chuckles, extending a hand to me to help me up "Come on, follow me."

He helps me up and I grab my crutches, then follow him back to the hallway I've spent the past few days anxiously awaiting for the opportunity to enter. It's a short grey and white corridor with another nurse's station at the end of it. We stop and wash our hands, one of them takes my temperature, and once I'm deemed healthy enough to be allowed in, we continue on.

"Do you do this every time?" I ask as we make our way down another hallway

"What? The hand washing?"

"Yeah." I say "And the mini checkup."

"They just want to make sure we're not bringing anything in that could infect the patients." He tells me "Their immune systems are vulnerable right now,"

"Oh."

"Okay look." He turns to me as we stop in front of a doorway "Robbie, I need you to understand something. It's going to hurt, seeing her the way she is. You're going to want to scream or lash out, but you can't. At least not here."

"Yeah." I nod "Yeah I get it."

"Okay." He pats my back before turning and opening the door

I follow him inside and the first thing is Cat's mom, sitting next to the bed. She looks up when we enter, and sits up a little straighter.

"Hi Mrs. Valentine." I say softly, why I don't know

Even if I was talking loudly, I wouldn't be able to wake Cat up if I wanted to.

"Hi." She whispers "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

"What?" I look towards the bed "Oh."

She lays there completely motionless, my sweet little innocent Cat. Her head is wrapped in a bandage and almost half of her face is covered by the ventilator mouthpiece. Both her legs are in white plaster casts and her left arm is too. If my heart wasn't broken already, it as now. There's a pain in my chest that I can't even describe, as tears start to stream down my face.

"Cat." I gasp "No. No..."

Mrs. Valentine stands up and stands next to her husband, allowing me to sit in the chair next to the bed.

I sit down and take one of Cat's hands in both of mine. It's only now up close that I see the cuts all over her face, and the line of stitches running from her wrist to just past her elbow.

"Hi Kitty Cat." I whisper so only she can hear "It's me, it's Robbie."

I run my thumb over her knuckles, they're bruised. Almost the same color as the dark purple nail polish on her fingernails.

"When..." I turn to her parents "When do the doctors think she'll wake up."

"They're not sure." Her mother brushes a tear away "We're being told that she could at anytime, she just has to will herself to do it."

"You can do it, Cat." I tell her "Come on, I know you can..."

Her hand twitches, making me jump. I pull my hands away, and for a second I almost think might be some hope that this could be it.

"Don't get excited..." Mr. Valentine sighs "It happens from time to time. The doctors think it's a muscle spasm."

"Right." I nod "It can't be that easy."

"It's been almost a week." He reminds me "She'll wake up soon."

"I hope so..." My voice cracks as the tears start flooding back "I need her."


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hi all, sorry for the hiatus the past few days. Since school got out, life has been crazy, but I'm back now. At least for this week._**

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

"I think I'm going to go back to my dorm tonight." I tell my parents as they rush around the kitchen, getting ready for work

"Are you sure you're rea-"

"Mom." I cut her off "I've been out of the hospital for close to a week now, I think I'm pretty well adjusted. Besides, my dorm room is on the first floor, I won't need help getting up and down the stairs. And if for some reason I need to, there's an elevator."

"He has his rental car now." My father reminds her, taking a sip of his coffee "It's not like he'll have any issue getting around."

"And I'll be closer to all my classes, because I'll be back on campus." I add "I'll be fine Mom, I promise."

"I know." She sighs, walking over to me and hugging me "It's just...we almost lost you. I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to keep you out of more trouble."

"He's more likely to hurt himself trying to get up the stairs here than he is to hurt himself at school." My father laughs "So i'm guessing this is the last we'll see of you until you graduate then, huh?"

"Yeah I guess." I shrug

"I know you won't be home on the weekends." My mom tells me "But just know you're welcome to stay here whenever you want."

"Thanks." I chuckle, giving her another hug "I'll take you up on that after school is done."

"That's only temporary." My father reminds me "The job hunt starts right away remember?"

"Yeah I remember."

* * *

"Damn..." Andre sighs as I enter our dorm room "I was beginning to think I'd have the place to myself for the rest of the year."

He's laying on his back on his bed, tossing a tennis ball up in the air and catching it.

"Sorry to invade your bachelor pad." I chuckle as I crutch in and sit down on my bed

"Nah I'm just teasing you." he assures me "I'm actually happy to have you back. It can get pretty lonely here all by yourself."

"Is that why Tori had been saying over?" I raise an eyebrow at him

"You don't know if she's ben over here at all."

"Then who's condom wrapper is that?"

"Oh." He smirks, bending down to pick it up, then carrying it over to the trash "Yeah I guess that's a giveaway."

I roll my eyes and lay back on my bed.

"I'm so tired." I groan

"Then take a nap." Andre chuckles "I'll be quiet."

"I have to go to the hospital soon." I tell him "I don't have enough time."

"How much time do you spend at the hospital?' He asks me

"Well..." I sigh "I usually go up after my last class and stay there until visiting hours are over."

"Which is when?"

"Like 10:30, I think."

"Rob." He shakes his head

"What?" I ask "Are you going to say the same thing my parents did? Tell me I'm spending too much time there? What if it was Tori? Wouldn't you want to be there for her as much as possible?"

"Hey man." He throws his hands up in defense "No need to get all defensive over it, okay?"

"Sorry." I apologize "I'm just running on not a lot of sleep."

"Maybe you _should_ take a nap then." He suggest "Cat wouldn't want you doing this to yourself."

"I'll sleep in on Saturday." I tell him "They're letting me in to see her now, I want to be there when she wakes up."

"She's still not awake?" He looks astonished

"No?" I give him a questionable look "Both Jade _and_ Tori came and sat with me in the waiting room twice last week, didn't either one of them pass any information along to you?"

"No they did." He tells me "I just figured that by now...I mean, it's been a week."

"I know." I whisper "I'm scared."

"Rob..." He sighs, sitting down next to me on the bed "Come on, don't cry. Cat's little, but she's a fighter. She'll wake up soon."

"I really hope so." I admit "I hate being without her."

* * *

"So I'm back in my dorm room now," I tell Cat "with Andre. Seems like he and Tori were taking advantage of my not being there."

I chuckles to myself. I know she probably can't hear me, but I still want to tell her about my day. I hope that eventually, my voice will register and she'll will herself to wake up.

"I love you, you know." I whisper, rubbing my thumb in a circle on the back of her hand "I feel like I didn't tell you that enough.I promise to start telling you that more."

I grab the remote of the couch next to me and turn the TV on, flipping through the channels because there's no channel guide. I stop when I find Friends, and extend my legs onto the rest of the couch, still holding on to Cat's hand.

"Hey." I nudge her a little "Your favorite show is on. Come on Cat, please wake up."

"She will when she's ready." A nurse says as she enters the hospital room "Sorry, didn't mean to butt in or anything, but I need to change her IVs."

"It's not a problem." I assure her, letting go of Cat's hand and readjusting her arm on the bed "You probably need that."

"Only for a second, then you can have it back." She smiles "Where are Paul and Diane? They're usually still here around this time."

It's odd hearing her parents referred to as anything other than what I know them as, which is 'Mr. and Mrs. Valentine'.

"He's working." I tell her "She had to go home and do some housework, they're barely home anymore."

"They _are_ here a lot." She agrees "But if it were _my_ daughter, I guess I would be too."

"Yeah." I nod "So what's in those IVs? Or is that medically classified?"

"It's fine." she assures me "This one is an antibiotic so nothing gets infected, and this one is a pain medication so she doesn't feel completely terrible when she wakes up."

"How bad do you think it will be?" I ask

"I'm not sure." She tells me "We really have no way of knowing."


	7. Chapter 7

_Robbie's POV_

"That'll be $12.95." The man in the gift shop tells me

I slide a few bills across the counter and pick up the bouquet of flowers as he gets me my change.

"Thanks." I tell him "Have a nice day."

"You too, man."

I crutch out of the gift shop and across the lobby of the hospital to the elevators. I only have to wait about a minute or so before the doors open and I take the car up to the ninth floor.

Entering the familiar waiting room where I spent many afternoons and nights waiting for news on Cat, I make my way over to the desk.

"Robbie Shapiro here for Cat Valentine." I tell the nurse at the desk

"Yup." She hits the button to open the door "Go on in."

"Thanks." I tell her as I enter the familiar hallway

"Hi Robbie." One of the nurses passes me in the hallway "Are those for Cat?'

"Yup!" I smile "I figure she might as well have something pleasant to wake up to when the time comes, right?"

"Of course?" She laughs as she passes me by

I stop at the sinks and wash my hands, and the nurses take my temperature. Once I'm approved, I follow the familiar path I basically know now like the back of my hand, to Cat's room. I knock before entering.

"Come in." Mrs. Valentine says "Hi Robbie."

"Hi." I greet her "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Cat sweetie," She smiles towards her daughter, rubbing her arm a little "Look who's here. It's Robbie."

"Is she awake?" I gasp

"Awake? Yes." She tells me "Completely aware of what exactly is going on? No. Here, come say hi."

"Okay." I smile, making my way over to the couch next to the bed

Her eyes are only half open, she looks exhausted, despite having slept for the past week and a half straight. Her eyebrows are furrowed in the way they only are when she's frightened.

"Hey Cat." I grin, sitting down

Her head stays completely still, but her eyes shift over to look at me. She winces, then raises her index finger on her hand closest to me, as if to wave.

"Aw, hi." I take her hand as I feel a tear start to slide down my cheek "I'm happy you're awake. I can see your eyes again. You know how pretty I think your eyes are."

She shifts her eyes to look at the ceiling again.

Her ventilator is still in so she can't talk. But even if she had the ability, I'm no even sure she'd b able to, or _want_ to.

"Don't take it personally." Her mom tells me "She's been lethargic like this ever since she woke up, I'm sure she's happy to see you."

"No I understand." I tell her "Cat? I love you."

She moves her hand towards me slightly, and I take it, smiling.

This is progress.

* * *

 _Cat's POV_

I won't lie, when I woke up, I was scared.

Actually, more like _terrified._

The last thing I remember I was in the car with Robbie. I don't remember where we were gong, but it was our anniversary. There was a bright light and then everything went black.

My body entire body is consumed by pain. I want to scream, but I can't. I'm attached to a machine that 'm pretty sure is breathing for me. Every time I try to take a breath of my own, I feel like a million knives are stabbing my chest. I want to cry, but I don't have the energy.

I don't even have enough energy to open my eyes all the way, which makes it hard to see. There's two figures in my room right now, but they're blurry and I can't see them clearly. One I can make out as my mom. The other...I think might be Robbie.

"Hi Cat." He says

Yes, that's Robbie. I recognize his voice.

I try to turn to look at him, but I can't. My head is too heavy, so I move my eyes. I try to wave to him, but pain shoots through my arm when I try to pick it up, so I do all I can, I move my finger.

What happened to me? Why does everything hurt so ad? Why can't I feel my legs?

"I'm happy you're awake. I can see your eyes again. You know how pretty I think your eyes are." Robbie says

This is when I should blush and turn away, but I can't do that right now. I look back up to the ceiling.

How badly am I hurt? Am I in my bed at my parent's house? Or am I at the hospital?

It must be the hospital, my parent's house wouldn't have a breathing machine. And there wouldn't be needles in my arms.

I need an explanation, I need to know what happened to me, why I'm like this. I need to know how badly I'm hurt, when I'll be better, and when I can go home.

"Cat?" Robbie's voice pulls me out of my thoughts "I love you."

I want to tell him that I love him too. I want to kiss him and thank him for being here for me. But I can't. Not with this breathing tube in my throat and mask on my face. Even if they weren't there, I don't know if I'd have enough energy to.

So I move my hand towards his. It hurts like hell, but when his meets mine, it's worth it.

I don't know, there's just something familiar about holding his hand, and in turn, that gives me a small sense of comfort. Finally, somewhat comforted at last, I feel my eyes start to close as I drift back to sleep again.


	8. Chapter 8

_Robbie's POV_

"Her doctor will have to make that call." The nurse says "I'm not qualified to make that decision."

"When will the doctor be in next?" Mr. Valentine asks "She's getting restless."

I glance over at Cat, restless might not be the right word. She looks more annoyed than anything else. Now that she's on an almost regular sleep schedule again, she has some more energy. Not a lot, that's for sure, but more than she did a few days ago. She wants to sit up and watch TV, and interact with us a little, although she's usually half asleep the entire times. But who can blame her? Her body is under a lot of stress right now, working hard to repair itself.

All she's wanted all morning is to come off her ventilator. She keeps gesturing to it, or trying to take it out herself. I'm honestly not sure if it's because her breathing has finally regulated itself, or if it's because she's sick of having one-sided conversations and wants to talk to us.

"I can go see if he has a free minute right now." The nurse smiles "I'll be right back."

"She's going to try, sweetheart." Mr. Valentine turns to his daughter ask the nurse exits "I can't make you any promises."

She nods and lays her head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

"Yeah I know." I sigh "It sucks."

She turns her head back to me, giving me a look to say 'you really don't know', but I can't be sure.

"I hear somebody might be ready to come off her ventilator." Cat's doctor enters the room, followed by the same nurse again, in addition to another "Let's take a look shall we?"

He's an older man, probably in his late fifties, early sixties with grey hair. He's her main doctor, but there's a few others that check up on her on occasion. I can't even remember any of their names. Shows how close I actually pay attention to that sort of thing.

The two nurses help Cat sit straight up, which actually proves to be rather difficult for her. It surprises me that she needs support from one of them in order to stay upright, but then I remember all the surgeries she's had on her lower back and it makes sense. The doctor takes his stethoscope and presses it to her back, listening to her breathing I'm assuming. I make eye contact with her and she looks frightened again.

"You're okay, Cat." I assure her, leaning forward and taking her hand, she squeezes mine back tightly "Woah, at least we know there's nothing wrong with your upper body."

"Robbie." Her father hisses

"What?"

"Later." He says flatly

"Alright?"

"Okay," The doctor says to the nurses "you can lay her down again."

"Well?" Mr. Valentine asks

"Right now, she appears to be fine. But I'm worried about what will happen when she falls asleep." He explains "Her breathing is alright right now because she's awake, her brain is aware that it needs to help her breathe. However, when she falls asleep, it might start focusing on other things, and she could stop breathing altogether. Which is why I'm going to suggest we put her on the ventilator at night, but during the day, I suppose we can try an oxygen tube."

"Like the kind that goes in through her nose?" He asks

"Exactly like that." The doctor turns to Cat "Does that sound okay to you, Cat?"

She shrugs.

* * *

"What do you mean she doesn't know yet?" I ask in shock

"I said we're not sure if she knows or not." Mr. Valentine corrects me "She was asleep for a week and a half, and we haven't found the right time to tell her yet."

"Don't you think she'll be angry when she finds out you kept it from her?"

"Angrier than not being able to walk?" He shakes his head "I don't think so."

The nurses are busy taking Cat off her ventilator and getting her adjusted to the oxygen tube, so Mr. Valentine had pulled me out into the hallway to explain that he and Mrs. Valentine aren't sure if Cat has figured out that she's paralyzed from the waist down yet or not. Considering how dazed and lethargic she's been since she woke up, I doubt she has. Mr. Valentine said that they wanted to wait and tell her together, and I'm assuming that means without me, since I've been with her and both of them several times since she woke up.

"She's done now, if you want to go back in." One of the nurses says as she exits

"Thanks." Mr. Valentine says to her

He nods towards the door, cueing me to go in, then follows close behind me.

"Hi Cat." I say

"Hi sweetheart."

"Hi." She says quietly

"How are you feeling?" Her dad asks her

"Lousy."

"I figured as such." I tell her, crutching over and sitting next to her on the bed "At least you can talk now."

"It's..." She begins "harder than...I...thought...it would...be."

She closes her eyes, breathing heavy after just that one sentence.

"You just need some time to adjust to being off the ventilator." Her dad tells her

"I...I know." She nods

"Shhh..." I tell her "Don't overwork yourself."

"I'm going to go down and get your mother." Mr. Valentine says, looking down at his phone "She just got here, I'll be right back, okay?"

She nods and he exits the room.

"It's good to hear your voice again." I smile, leaning over and kissing her cheek "For a while there it was looking like I never would again."

She smiles and uses her good arm to move her pointer finger to tap her lips, so I lean in and kiss her there too.

"How...how long...was I-"

"About a week and a half." I say, sensing what she's trying to ask and not wanting her to overwork herself "It was the worst week and a half of my life."

"Your leg." She frowns

"Yeah. It's broken." I sigh "It will be okay in a few weeks though."

She nods and turns her head and stares up at the ceiling, letting out a sigh as she does so.

"Robbie."

"Yes?"

"Why...why can't...I...feel..." She breathes heavily

"Why can't you feel what?" I ask

She turns her head towards me again, tears in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

"My legs." She whispers

"I think..." I sigh, literally feeling like somebody just stabbed me in the chest, and is continuing to stab me over and over again "I think we should wait for your parents."


	9. Chapter 9

_Cat's POV_

I feel numb, and not just in my legs anymore. My entire body is numb, I feel like I can't breathe. I want to scream and panic, but I know my lungs don't have the capacity for that at the moment.

"What?" I gasp

Even just saying that one word exhausts me. I definitely don't have the ability to scream.

I hope I didn't hear my father correctly, I hope I'm imagining this. He just told me that everything below my waist is _paralyzed_.

I can't be paralyzed, when you're paralyzed you can't walk. I _need_ to be able to walk, how else am I going to be successful in the entertainment business?

"It's not..." I begin, then stop to catch my breath "...permanent."

It can't be.

"Cat, sweetheart..." My dad sighs, I can see him fighting so hard not to cry "I wish I could tell you it's not, but we need to prepare ourselves for the fact that it might be."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, or at least as deep as I can. It hurts, my lungs burn and feel like they're on fire.

I hear my mother start to cry and I open my eyes, turning to look at her. The sight of it is too painful. She sits on the couch next to Robbie, crying quietly into my dad's shoulder. I want to cry too, but I think my body is too malnourished to make it happen, because the tears never come.

"Robbie." I whisper

He's stayed silent this entire time, but looks up at me when I say his name.

"Yeah baby?"

"Come..." I sigh "come lay...with...me."

"Cat I don't-"

"Please." I squeak

"Okay."

He leaves his crutches leaning up against the couch and hops over to my bed on his good leg. Since I no longer have the ability to move my legs on my own (and because they're both broken, apparently), he picks them up one at a time and moves them over so he'll fit. He climbs into the bed and carefully drapes an arm around my shoulders.

I want nothing more than to cuddle up to him, bury my face in his chest and just sob. But some of my ribs are still broken, and I wouldn't even have enough strength to move on my own if I wanted to.

"It's going to be okay." He whispers "I promise."

"No." I shake my head

"Cat, it will be."

"No."

* * *

I can't do anything on my own. I went from being an almost independent adult to someone who is always relying on others in a blink of an eye.

I hate it.

Literally all I do all day is lay in my bed and watch TV. I'm not even strong enough to sit up on my own, when a doctor needs to check on me, I need at least two nurses to help me stay upright. I feel so weak.

Then again, I _am_ weak.

This doesn't even feel like my body anymore. It's like I was plucked out of mine and somehow deposited in a broken one, one that doesn't belong to me.

I want _my_ body back, but I know I'll never get that. This damage is permanent, there's no going back to the way things were.

Hospitals are boring. Robbie goes to class during the day and my dad goes to work, leaving me with my mom, who also spends most of her time working from her laptop. She tries to have conversations with me, but it's still hard for me to talk and breathe at the same time, so those conversations are pretty one-sided. The only other option I have is to sleep, but I need to be hooked up to the ventilator in order for that to be allowed.

One morning, when I wake up and the nurses remove the ventilator, I find that one of the plain white plaster casts on my left leg is no longer juts plain white. It's been covered in doodles and cartoons.

"You like it?" Robbie smiles from the couch "Don't panic, it's Sunday, remember? I'm not skipping class."

He knows I hate it when he does that.

"You did...this?" I ask

"Yeah." He grins "I figured I'd let Jade and Tori have the other one, but what do you think?"

I can't see everything clearly, simply because I'm not sitting up, but I like what I _can_ see. There's lots of hearts, and Robbie's cartoon doodles that he's known for, some word too that I can't make out.

"The words..." I say

"Song lyrics." He tells me "Just some I thought you'd like."

"Will you...-"

"Read them?" He asks, I nod "Of course."

He hobbles over and sits on the edge of the bed.

" _No matter where you are, no matter how far; don't worry baby_..." He reads "You know that one, right?"

I nod.

I do know that song, it's Ain't No Mountain High Enough. It's one of my favorites, and I so desperately wish I could belt out the next line to him. But I know if I can barely get two words out before getting out of breath, I won't be able to sing anything.

"Let's see..." He moves on to another lyric " _Now that it's raining more than ever, know that we'll still have each other_."

I nod again.

That's Umbrella.

" _You're crazy and I'm out of my mind._ "

All of Me.

" _You are my life, I don't deserve you, but you love me just the_ _same."_

I look at him confused.

"Do you not know that one?" He asks

"No."

"Well it's a good one." He tells me "Maybe sometime I can bring my guitar in here and play for you."

"Yeah." I smile

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."


	10. Chapter 10

_Cat's POV_

I look up at the clock on the wall of my hospital room. It reads 5:13. Robbie's last class ends at 4:30, he's always here by five at the latest.

Where is he?

Given everything that has happened, I can't help but worry. What if he got in another accident? What if he's hurt worse than I am? What if he's dead?

"He's just running a little late, sweetheart." My mom assures me

I turn my head to look at her.

"You haven't been able to talk, Cat. Or at least not very easily." She chuckles "I've learned how to read your facial expressions. Don't worry, Robbie will be here soon, I promise. You know there's not a moment that goes by that he's not thinking about you."

She's right. He loves me, and I know that. But I'm not the same person I used to be. My legs don't work, at least not right now, I'm only half of who I used to be. At least that's how I feel. My parents, however, spend every available opportunity trying to convince me that I shouldn't let any of this dampen my spirits.

They just don't understand.

I used to be able to dance. I used to be able to go for a run whenever I wanted to. I used to be able to go on bike rides with Robbie, and take walks with him on the beach. Now what? I can't even move on my own, I'll never even be able to stand on my own.

I wish I had died instead.

Yes, it would've been extremely difficult for my friends and family, and it would've been painful, but they would've gotten over it. A few months of mourning, maybe some therapy and counseling, but eventually, they would've moved on. Once a year, on the anniversary of the accident maybe, or on my birthday, they would cry, but they would learn to cope, and they would move on. And I wouldn't have to live the rest of my life forever depending on someone to take care of me. I know that sounds selfish, and maybe it is, but from where I stand, or I guess lay, it looks like the best scenario.

"See?" My mother snaps me out of my out of my daze "There he is."

Robbie crutches into the room, backpack on his back, just like every other day.

"Hi." He comes over and kisses me "Sorry, I needed to run back to my dorm room to grab something. I don't exactly move that quickly on these things."

I keep hoping that he'll bring his guitar in, like he said he would. That he'll sit down on the edge of my bed and sing that song to me. I used to love it when he would sing to me. No matter how lousy I was feeling, all he had to do was pull out that guitar, flash me one of those million dollar smiles and start to play. Then everything was better. I wish I had enough breath to tell him that now, maybe it still works.

"You scared...me." I whisper

"I'm sorry, baby." He frowns "But if I had stopped to send a text message, it would've taken me even longer to get here. But, I brought you a surprise."

He shrugs his backpack off onto the floor, unzips it and pulls out his laptop. I give him a questionable look and he only smiles at me.

"I can't bring Tori and Jade to visit you," He says "I wish I could, but they're not family, and I doubt the hospital will make anymore exceptions. So I'm gonna set up my laptop, and let them Skype you."

"No." I say

I don't want anyone else to see me like this. I'm not me anymore.

I can't even sit up.

"Come on." He sighs "We'll just get you sitting up..."

He presses the button on the side of my bed that will move my mattress so I'm sitting up. The mattress starts moving, putting pressure against ribs, upper back, and shoulders. I cry out in pain.

"Robbie!" My mother exclaims "That hurts her!"

He releases the button, and backs away.

"Cat I'm-"

"It's okay." I wave him off "Just...just help...me."

My mom gets up and walks over to the other side of my bed, her and Robbie both help me sit up, and Robbie hits the button so the mattress is where it needs to be, then they lay me down.

"I'm going to go run and get some coffee." My mom says "I'll be back later, okay?"

I nod as Robbie moves the table try in front of me and puts his laptop on it. He hits a few buttons and soon enough, Jade and Tori's faces appear on the screen.

"Oh my god, cat." Jade gasps

I move my left arm, my good arm, up into the frame and wave to them.

"It's...okay." I assure them

"I'm gonna work on some homework." Robbie tells me, then sits down on the couch and puts his headphones in

I turn back to the screen.

"I miss...you." I tell them

"We miss you too." Tori frowns "The loft just isn't the same without you here."

"It's a lot quieter too." Jade laughs

"How's the...the wedding?" I ask her

"I found the most gorgeous dress." She grins

I've never seen her so happy about anything.

"And the bridesmaid dresses are beautiful." She adds "You'll love them."

"They're dark purple." Tori smiles "I was able to talk her out of black."

"Jade...I..." I begin to shake my head

"Don't you dare for a second go there, Caterina." Jade scolds "You are still my maid of honor, you are still going to be in my wedding, I don't care if we have to push the date back, you _will_ be in the wedding."

"My legs..." I sigh "I can't..."

"Robbie told us." Tori stops me, both her and Jade look like they could cry "It's okay."

"You're still one of my best friends, Cat." Jade says "I want you to be in my wedding, we've talked about it since we were little. I don't care if you're standing up there on your own, or leaning on crutches, or sitting in a wheel chair. You'll be up there at that altar, next to Tori, at my side. Okay?"

I can tell she's genuine about what she says.

"Okay."


	11. Chapter 11

**_Hi guys, sorry this chapter is on the shorter side, I'm trying to pack for vacation and get like a million other things done at once. It's kinda just filler-ish stuff, but I wanted to give you SOMETHING because I won't have access to a computer until a week from tomorrow so there won't be any updates until then. Sorry! I'll see you all soon! But until then, have an awesome week!_**

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

"All she does is lay there all day and all night!" I sigh, sitting on my bed with my head in my hands "I feel so awful, and I try to do everything that I can to make it not so miserable for her, but nothing I do seems to work."

"Do we really need to having this conversation _now_?" Andre sighs

"If I don't get this out of my system, I won't be able to sleep tonight." I tell him

"But it's 1:30 in the morning! I have class at 7:45!"

"Andre, please." I groan

"Alright," He sighs, sitting up "You want my advice?"

"Yeah kind of." I give him a questionable look "That's sort of why I woke you up."

"I need you to listen to me then, hear me out."

I nod.

"Look," He says "the fact of the matter is, there's not a whole lot you can do to cheer her up. You can bring her flowers, balloons, set up Skype dates with her friends, sing her songs, kiss her, hug her, try and make her laugh...but none of that is going to change her condition. She's partially _paralyzed_ , man. That's not something a person can adjust to very quickly. Her entire world just got flipped upside down and her life is never going to be the same ever again, even if by some miracle she does regain the ability to walk. Yeah, you can be there for her emotionally and physically, but you can't fix everything."

"I realize that."

"She's probably resents you a little bit too. I know that sucks to hear, but it's true."

"What do you mean?"

"You walked away." He sighs "Yeah, you're on crutches, you broke your leg. You hurt your shoulder. But in a month or so, you'll be fine. She's not going to be 'fine' anytime soon, maybe ever."

"You really think she feels like that?" I ask him

"Maybe." He shrugs "Maybe not. I mean, it's Cat. She's pretty laid back and it takes a lot to piss her off. But if I were you, I wouldn't bring it up. Because if she's not thinking like that, you don't want to be the one who puts that in her head."

"Yeah you're right." I agree "God I want to _kill_ the guy who did this."

"If you try, you'll end up in the prison cell right next to him." Andre reminds me

"Do you think he'll get a life sentence?" I ask

"Hard to tell." He shrugs "I mean, he didn't kill anybody, so it all depends on the jury he gets I guess."

"He didn't kill Cat, but he killed her spirit. That's for sure."

"She's probably going to have to testify." He sighs "You know that, right?"

"Yeah." I nod "Yeah I know. I hope I don't have to."

"Why? Don't you want the guy to get what he deserves"

"Yeah I do." I admit "That's why I'll probably end up lunging at him and punching him in the face."

"Okay, no need to get violent."

"Are you defending him" I snap

"What?" He asks "Robbie, no. Calm the fuck down."

"I want to hit something."

"Alright." Andre sighs, sitting up and holding his pillow in front of him "Punch the pillow."

"I'm not gonna hit the pillow."

"Come on."

"No. That's ridiculous."

"Robbie just hit the pillow!"

"Fine." I sigh

I get up and hobble across the room to his bed and once I find my balance, pull my arm back and force it towards the pillow. It doesn't hurt, not even a little bit, but it does make me feel a little better.

"Again." Andre tells me

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, picturing the pillow as the driver's face. I don't actually know that he looks like, but I picture him with a scruffy, un-kept beard, eyes that are sunken in, and shaggy hair. He probably still lives with his parents, in their basement, and works at McDonalds or something. At least, that's how _I_ picture him. I should probably read the reports and find out. But I can't bring myself to do it, I don't want to relive the tragedy.

I hit the pillow once, twice, three more times, before stepping back and collecting myself.

"Are you crying?" Andre asks me

Am I? I am.

"I'm fine." I tell him, going back to my bed

"Dude." He says "It's going to be okay."

"I know." I sigh "I guess I'm just tired of waiting for that time to come."


	12. Chapter 12

_Cat's POV_

It's becoming easier to breathe without the ventilator, and while still need my oxygen tube, talking is slowly becoming easier. I can almost have half a conversation before I get short of breath.

Robbie still comes and visits me everyday, even though I know his graduation is right around the corner. And while I'm happy he's so dedicated to our relationship, I can't help but feel bad for distracting him from everything he needs to get done.

Right now, he's sitting on the couch next to my bed, his laptop on his lap. He said something about a final paper.

"Robbie." I whisper

He looks up from the computer.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you still here?" I ask him

"You know I stay until visiting hours are over." He chuckles, going back to typing "I do every night."

"No that's not what I mean." I sigh "I mean, why are you still _here_? Why are you sitting here, wasting all this time, when you know I'm never going to get any better?"

"Cat..." He looks shocked "I love you, you know that."

"You loved the _old_ me." I tell him "Before this happened. This _isn't_ my body anymore Robbie!"

"You think I only love you for your _body_? Cat, come on. You know that isn't true."

"That's not what I meant." I say as I start to grow a little frustrated "I'm not _myself_. Not anymore, I'm going to be different."

"And I know that!" He slams the laptop shut "But I'm still here. I love you, Cat! I'm going to love you, even if you're different. Sure, you're body will be different, you might have a bit of a different attitude, but the Cat Valentine I know, she's still there. I know she is, I can still see her. I still love her. I hope she still loves me."

"I do..." I choke "I still love you...that's why I want you... to leave."

"Leave?"

"I'm holding you back." I tell him "You can't focus, I'm...distracting you."

"Cat-"

"Robbie. I've been here for a month almost. You've been here every day with me, and I...I...I..."

I panic and start to cry, which in turn makes me hyperventilate.

"Hey." Robbie comes and sits down on the be next to me, wrapping me in a hug "Cat, it's going to be-"

"Don't...touch me!" I snap "Robbie!"

"Alright...alright..." He throws his hands up in surrender "I get that you need your space, okay?"

"Robbie...I'd hate to think you missed out on... something because of...of me."

"No Cat." He sighs "Can't you see that I love you so much that I'm willing to do anything for you?"

"And I love you so much, I'd hate to see...you sacrifice yourself...for me."

"Cat, your confusing me so much right now." He looks terrified

I'm confusing myself. I'm not even sure where I had intended on taking this conversation. I love Robbie, I don't want to lose him, but I also want what's best for him and if I'm not it...

"Okay." He sighs, shoving the computer into his backpack and pulling it on "You know what? I'm going to find a way to prove to you that I love you so much that nothing else matters to me!"

"Not until after you graduate." I say "I want you to stay focused, that determines the rest of your life."

"My life is nothing without you, can't you see that?"

"Robbie...please..."

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

I crutch down the hallway and out into the waiting room, passing Mrs. Valentine on the way.

"Ducking out early tonight, Robbie?" She smiles

"Not by choice." I sigh "She kicked me out."

"Why?" She looks genuinely concerned "What happened?"

"I don't even know." I admit "She was sending such mixed signals, telling me that she loves me so much she wanted me to...to leave. And stay away until after I graduate next week."

"She's been through a lot in the past month...her hormones are all messed up, and I'm certain there's a bit of depression mixed in there too." She rests a hand on my shoulder "I think she let her emotions overwhelm her, sweetie. I don't think she meant anything she said."

"So then what do I do?" I ask her, tears forming in my eyes "I love her, what am I supposed to do? I love her."

"Robbie, I wasn't in there, I don't know what happened. But, I know you. I've known you for years, you're a smart boy." She tells me "Go home, sleep on it, take some time to think. You're exhausted, I can see it in your face, I think you'll have a better grasp on things in the morning."

"You always know how to make people feel better, Mrs. Valentine."

"I'm a mom." She smirks "Making people feel better and drying tears is part of my job."

I can't help but smile. Mrs. Valentine gives me a hug, then backs away to start walking down the hallway.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think there might be some tears down this way I need to go dry."

"Of course."


	13. Chapter 13

_Robbie's POV_

"So what are you going to do?" Andre asks me

"I...I don't know." I admit "She confused me..."

Mrs. Valentine said that if I went home and slept on it, then I'd know what to do. But I know it's not that simple now.

"Well, it looks like you've got too options here..." Andre sighs "You can stay away...and risk pissing her off. Or you can go back and..."

"Risk pissing her off." I groan, falling backwards onto my bed "Why are women so complicated?"

"To keep us on our feet." He chuckles, picking up a cardboard box "Come on, think on it while we start packing this stuff up. Graduation in a week, remember."

"Yeah I remember." I sigh, getting to my feet "Have you started the job hunt yet?"

"Sort of..." He shrugs "I got an internship at one of the record labels downtown, it's a start right?"

"Yeah." I nod

"What about you?" He asks "Started the job hunt?"

"Sort of." I shrug "When I've had the time, but no leads yet."

"So nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing."

"Well, you've got a business degree. You can do a lot with that."

"In theory, yes." I sigh "Let's see what happens in reality."

"Yay adulthood." He rolls his eyes

"Adulthood." I repeat "The job. The house. Everything that goes with it...that's it!"

"He has an idea!" Andre laughs "Care to enlighten me?"

"No time." I shake my head "I need to go get Tori and Jade."

* * *

"No!" Tori!" Jade exclaims, shoving her friend out of the way "You always get shotgun!"

"Would you two stop fighting and get in the car?" I beg "Please?"

"Fine." Tori sighs and climbs into the back seat "What's the big emergency anyways?"

"And why did you need Cat's class ring?"

"I'll take that. Thank you!" I pluck the ring out of Jade's hand and shove it deep into my pocket where I know it will be safe "Come on, buckle up."

I put the car in gear and pull out of the parking lot outside the girls' loft, headed towards Downtown.

"Are you going to propose to Cat?" Tori asks

"How'd you guess?"

"She and I did the same thing with Beck when he picked out Jade's ring." I can see her smirking in my rearview mirror

"Dammit." I mutter

"Did you really?" Jade asks her

"Uh, yeah." She laughs "You think he picked that thing out on his own?"

"Yeah okay, point taken." She chuckles as I park the car

"Yes okay, men are incapable, point taken." I smirk "Come on, I need your help."

I climb out of the car and Tori hands me my crutches from the backseat and we start towards the jewelry store.

"When are you going to be off those things?" Jade asks

"Tomorrow, hopefully." I tell her " _Hopefully_."

I open the door and hold it open for them as they step inside.

"Hi there!" A man greets us "Can I help you find anything today?"

"I'm looking for an engagement ring." I tell him

"For one of these lucky ladies?"

"Ew gross." Jade scoffs

"Jade." Tori warns

"It's for my girlfriend." I say "She's in the hospital, and she somehow got this crazy idea in her head that I don't want to be with her because she's broken..."

"Wait, did she actually say that?" Jade gasps

"Let me finish please." I sigh "Anyway, we've been dating for just over four years now, and I wanted to find a way to show her that I'm going to love her no matter what happens. It doesn't need to be a big, extravagant ring. In fact, it shouldn't be. I love her for her, not the vanity of it all...and the ring should reflect that."

"What about that one?" Jade taps the glass of one of the display cases

"It's perfect." I smile

* * *

"Aw shit." Andre hands my phone back to me "First Jade and Beck, now you guys? Tori is going to want one."

"Would that be so bad?" I ask him

"I'm not ready yet, dude." He admits "And I definitely can't afford it."

"Yeah..." I sigh "Add this on top of my student loans, and I'll probably be swimming in debt for the rest of my life."

"Not to mention her student loans." He reminds me

"Yeah, and the doctor's bills..." I sigh "But only if she says yes."

"She'll say yes. Don't even kid yourself, Rob."

"I hope so." I nod "I just...I don't know, she was so confusing the other day...I couldn't tell if she wanted space, or if she triedto break up with me and just didn't have the hea-"

"Robbie. Stop." Andre groans "Just use your way with words like you always do and make her fall head over heals, and she'll say yes for sure."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." He shrugs "At least I think so."

"Your confidence is so comforting."

"I try."


	14. Chapter 14

_Robbie's POV_

I move my left foot in a circle clockwise, then counterclockwise, then clockwise again. My cast has been off for a day or so now, but the idea of my entire leg being free again is still almost, foreign. Walking normally, without my crutches, feels foreign as well. The first few hours without the cast was awkward and hard to adjust to, but eventually, I was able to pick it back up again.

Which also makes me feel a pang of guilt in my chest because Cat may never feel that awkwardness. She might never know what it's like to stumble around until you regain your balance. But I really hope that someday she will.

The door to the small café I'm sitting in opens, and a small bell chimes. I look up and see Mr. Valentine enter.

"Robbie." He smiles, walking over to me

"Hi, Mr. Valentine." I extend my hand and he shakes it "Thanks for taking time off to meet me."

"I was on my lunch break anyways." He assures me "But I'm interested as to why this couldn't wait until later."

"It's important." I assure him "Besides, I'm graduation later tonight."

"Oh that's right, that's tonight." He nods "Well, congratulations Robbie. I know how hard you've worked for this."

"Thanks." I smile "But I'm hoping you could answer a question for me?"

"A question?"

"A question." I repeat "And I'm not going to lie...I'm really nervous about it-"

"Yes." He chuckles "You can ask Cat to marry you."

"How did you...?"

"I'm honestly surprised it took you this long." He tells me "Just, do you think now is the best time?"

"I have a plan." I assure him

"I trust you, Robbie. I do." He says "And I hope it works out, but be careful. Okay?"

"Okay." I nod

"Okay." He chuckles

"Do you wanna see the ring?" I ask him

"Yeah." He smirks "Let's see it."

I reach into my pocket and pull out the small velvet box. It's been giving me a heart attack all day, constantly checking to make sure it was still there. I it, and slide it across the table to him.

"It's a beautiful ring, it really is." He smiles

"Well she's beautiful." I can't help but grin "I think she should have a ring to match. I know, it's not very fancy or anything all that special-"

"Robbie." He stops me "She's going to love it."

"Good." I smile "Good...um. How is she?"

"She had another surgery on her back this morning." He tells me "Another attempt to take the pressure off her spinal cord."

"Did it work?"

"We don't know yet." He sighs "We just have to wait and see."

* * *

"Alright look over here!" My mom orders "Let's see those diplomas, boys!"

"Your Grandma isn't here?" I ask Andre through smiling teeth

I'm holding a college diploma. I did it, I graduated college. This is real, this is happening. My life is changing, and I'm ready.

"Are you kidding me?" He laughs back "All these people, in this big of a place?"

"Alright, point taken." I shrug "Congratulations, man. We did it."

"We did it." He grins "Welcome to Adulthood."

"More like 'Welcome to The Real World'." My dad rolls his eyes, but he's smiling "It sucks, but you'll be okay?"

"You're supposed to say 'but you're gonna love it', Dad."

"What?"

"Sorry. I watch _a lot_ of Friends when I visit Cat." I admit

"Just this morning she was moping about not having you around to watch it with her." Mrs. Valentine says "Congratulations, Robbie. You too, Andre."

"Mrs. Valentine, you came?"

"Well, I figured one of us should be here to watch our future son-in-law walk across the stage." She smiles "Paul told me."

"I figured he would." I chuckle "Thank you for coming."

"I wouldn't miss it." She tells me "And I'm sure if Cat had been able to come, she would've. She misses you."

"She does?"

"Oh yeah." She smiles "You would not believe the amount of tears I've been drying these past few days."

"She's crying?"

"She was." She nods "I don't know if she still is, her dad is with her right now."

"Oh." I feel my stomach drop

"Come on, Robbie." My dad places a hand on my shoulder "There's a table at Maestro's with our name on it."

* * *

"Robbie Shapiro here for Cat Valentine." I say to the nurse at the desk

"Hi Robbie." She smiles "I haven't seen you here for a few days."

"Worst few days of my life." I admit "But I'm back now."

"Good to have you back." She pushes the button to open the door and I step inside

I make a beeline for the handicapped bathroom right inside the door and go in switching on the light. I check my hair, straighten my tie, and take a deep breath. I pat my pocket, yeah. I still have the ring.

"No going back now." I sigh "Come on, Robbie. You can _do_ this!"

I pick up my guitar case and exit the bathroom, following the same familiar pathway down the hallway to the next nurses station. When I'm deemed healthy, I take a left down the next hallway, towards Cat's room. Her door is closed, so I knock and when there's no answer, I enter.

She's sleeping. If she wasn't laying in a hospital bed, and she wasn't all beaten up, and she didn't have her oxygen tube in, she'd look almost normal.

I glance at the clock, it's almost 5:30 in the morning. No wonder she isn't awake yet. I was going to wait and come in this afternoon, but I woke up early this morning and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I figured, the sooner the better. I sit down on the couch next to her bed.

"Cat." I whisper, shaking her gently "Hey Cat, wake up."

She jolts awake, scared. But her eyes focus on me, and she calmed.

"Robbie?"

"Hi." I smile "Hi..."

"What time is it?"

"That doesn't matter." I tell her "You told me not to come back until I graduated, and that was last night."

"And that was a mistake." She admits "I missed you too much."

"I missed you too." I grin and kiss her forehead "And I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay." She smiles "But can I go back to sleep now?"

"Not yet." I lean down and open my guitar case "I have something I want to ask you first."

"Okay..."

" _Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you_..." I smile, singing to her as my fingers play the familiar notes on the guitar

I've been practicing this one for a while now, always with this situation in mind.

" _Shall I stay_  
 _would it be a sin_  
 _If I can't help falling in love with you_

 _Like a river flows surely to the sea_  
 _Darling so it goes_  
 _some things are meant to be_  
 _take my hand, take my whole life too_  
 _for I can't help falling in love with you_

 _Like a river flows surely to the sea_  
 _Darling so it goes_  
 _some things are meant to be_  
 _take my hand, take my whole life too_  
 _for I can't help falling in love with you_..."

"I love that song." She smiles

"Yeah I know you do." I smirk "And I love you, which is why I was wondering...will you marry me?"

"Robbie I-"

"Nothing you're going to say to me is going to change how I feel." I tell her "I _love_ you. That won't change, no matter what happens to you or to me or to anybody. Okay? I'm here with you because I _want_ to be here with you. I want to always be with you, that's why I'm begging you to say yes, Please."

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't..." I dig into my pocket and pull out the ring box "Would I have this?"

"Oh my god..." She gasps "Robbie..."

"Well?" I ask her "What do you say? Will you marry me?"

"Yeah." She nods, a smile on her face

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

I take her hand and sliding the ring onto her finger with a shaking hand.

"Thank you." I whisper "I love you so much."

I lean forward and kiss her quickly, so she doesn't stop breathing for too long.

"I love you too."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Just wanna say Sorry to all of you for kinda dropping off the face of the planet for a few days at a time , stuff just keeps coming up and finding the time to write has been tricky.**_

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

I had fallen asleep on the couch next to Cat's hospital bed. With all her IVs and her oxygen tubes, it's difficult for both of us to lay in her bed together, we learned that the hard way a few weeks ago when she first found out about her legs. So I moved the couch away from the wall about a foot so I can be closer to her and held her hand until we both fell asleep.

It's her left hand too, so I can see her engagement ring. A wonderful reminder that my life is about to change for the better, and that she'll be a part of it.

When I wake up, my arm is asleep, so I have no choice but to sit up and shake it awake, which ends up waking Cat up too.

"Good morning, fiancée." I grin

"Morning." She smiles, moving her neck side to side to stretch it out.

"Your not hooked up to the ventilator anymore." I say

"Nope." She shakes her head "My lungs are getting stronger. It's just the oxygen tube now."

"That's fantastic." I grin "You'll be out of here in no time."

"That's not all." She tells me "I swear I moved my big toe yesterday."

"Oh?"

She nods.

I shift down the couch, towards her feet. I pull the blanket back, revealing both of her legs, still encased in the white plaster casts I doodled all over a few weeks ago. Hesitantly, I reach out and flick one of her big toes sticking out of the cast.

"Can you feel that?" I ask

Her face drops.

"No."

I flick the other one, then look at her again.

"Shit..." She mutters and covers her face

I didn't mean to make her cry, I really didn't. I just wanted to see if it was actually true, if maybe there was a chance she was regaining feeling.

"Cat...I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She sighs "I just...I thought."

"I know..." I hug her "I know."

"Robbie..." She whispers "When we get married...I wanna walk down the aisle."

"Okay." I nod

I'm not entirely sure how possible that will be, but if that's her goal, I'll support it.

"By myself." She nods "Not with help from anybody else, not with a cane, or with leg braces. By myself."

"Alright." I smile and kiss her forehead "We'll find a way to make that happen."

At least I hope we will.

* * *

"You promised her what?"

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow "No congratulations? I'm engaged!"

"Congratulations, man. Seriously, that's great." Beck sighs "But don't you think that's kinda a big promise to make?"

"Yeah." Andre agrees "I mean, it's good to have goals and everything. But..."

"But what?"

"Aren't the odds of her walking like, two percent?" He reminds me

"Not if this next surgery works." I tell them both

"That's what you said about the last one." Beck shrugs

"You guys, I know it's a long shot." I admit "I really do. But, her arm is better, her lungs are getting stronger, they're taking her leg casts off like, tomorrow, I think. She's on the road to recovery, and she's moving quickly. This is the only thing left standing in her way."

"But what if it doesn't happen, Robbie?"

"I can't afford to think like that."

* * *

 _Cat's POV_

"It's even prettier in person." My mom tells me, examining my ring "I've only seen pictures of it."

"Yeah, it's beautiful." I smile "I love it."

"Good." She nods "Because hopefully, you'll be wearing it for the rest of your life."

"I hope I will be." I admit

"I'm here!" Robbie announces, entering the room "Hello beautiful."

"Hi." I smile as he kisses my forehead "Look at my legs!"

"What happened to my drawings?" He pouts

"Don't worry, Robbie." My mom laughs "They let us keep the casts, your little doodles are safe."

"Good." He chuckles, sitting down and taking my hand "I'm proud of those doodles."

"They're alright." I tease him

"It's good to see you smiling and joking around again." He smiles "It is, Cat. It makes me so happy."

"It feels normal." I shrug "I just wish that..."

"I know, baby." He frowns and looks at my legs, newly freed from their casts "I know."

"I need to shave." I admit

"See?" He smirks "Joking, even when you're down. That's my girl."

"I try."

I wish I had another response, but it's all I can think of without bursting into tears. I want to walk, so _so_ bad. I want to walk down the aisle at my wedding, and dance my first dance with Robbie. There's not going to be anything romantic about him just pushing me around the dance floor in my wheelchair, which was just ordered last week.

I hope this next surgery works and I won't need it at all. I know it's a long shot, but I can dream right? It's not like I have that many other options.


	16. Chapter 16

_Cat's POV_

Surgeries, for most people, are supposed to be scary, but they're not for me. At least not anymore. It seems like every week and a half to two weeks now the doctors are putting me under, slicing my back open, trying to take the pressure off my compressed spinal cord in some kind of hope that maybe, just _maybe_ I'll walk again. Today, my operation is scheduled for 2:00, but I probably won't remember anything after 1:45 when they knock me out.

My mom sits on the couch beside my bed, legs crossed, shaking her foot, like she always does when she's nervous.

"It's fine, Mom." I sigh "This will be what? The third time they've done this?"

"The fourth." She corrects me "And I know. I know everything will be fine, but as a mom, it's part of my job to worry about you constantly. You'll learn that one day."

"Is it even possible for me to have kids anymore?" I raise an eyebrow at her

"When you were first admitted here, the doctors told us that everything...down there...was still functioning properly." She tells me "I don't know what it did for your fertility, but it's not impossible. And if for some reason it is, you can always adopt."

"I just want to get out of this hospital first." I sigh "And go to Beck and Jade's wedding, and then plan my own, and finish college and-"

"Cat, calm down." She reminds me "Sorry if I got you worked up, but that's _also_ part of my job as a mom. Once you're engaged, I start asking about grandchildren."

"It's fine." I tell her "It's just...there's so many other things I could be doing right now besides laying in this bed."

"I'll tell you what?" She smiles "As soon as you're feeling up to it after this surgery, we'll get you in that new wheelchair so you can learn how to use it, start mobilizing yourself."

"Once I'm mobile, I can leave. Right?'

"That's our hope." My doctor smiles, entering the room

"If the surgery works, will I still need the wheelchair?" I ask him

"Most definitely." He nods "If you do start to regain feeling, it will be slowly, not all at once. Then, you're more than likely going to have to reteach yourself to walk, like you did when you were a toddler. But that's only if the surgery works, remember there-"

"There's a good chance that it won't." I roll my eyes "I know."

* * *

"Cat?" Robbie whispers and I feel his fingers slip around mine "Cat, wake up."

I open my eyes slowly, looking around the room I'm in.

I'm in my hospital room. Robbie is sitting on the couch next to my bed, just like he always does when he's here. My back hurts like hell, but what else is new these days?

"Hello there, beautiful." He smiles

"I had my surgery?" I ask him "Right?"

"You sure did."

"Did it work?"

"We won't know for a little bit still." He shrugs "The chance of there being any immediate effect was low."

"Or any effect at all." I sigh "Why are you dressed so nice?"

"Oh." He sits up a little straighter, a proud smile on his face "I found a job."

"Like a job _job_?" I ask "Or like, Inside Out Burger?"

"You really think I'd be dressed like this if I was working at Inside Out Burger?" He laughs

"I dunno." I shrug "I don't put anything past you anymore."

"Well." He chuckles "No. I don't work at Inside Out Burger. I got an entry level position at one of the companies downtown."

"What?"

"I'm a financial analyst." He tells me "I give suggestions on what we should buy, what we should sell. I crunch numbers, I make spreadsheets..."

"What happened to starting your own business?"

"One day I'd really like to." He sighs "But I'm fresh out of college, I don't have any money. One day when we're financially stable, I will. At least in theory. But until then..."

"Something has to pay the bills." I sigh "I get it."

"Hey now..." He rubs my arm "It's not really all that bad. I mean, the pay is decent enough. Sure, I won't be able to buy us a mansion next week, but we can afford a decent apartment. _And_ I get my own cubicle."

"Well then." I laugh "If you get your own cubicle, I guess there's nothing we can really complain about."

"That's right." He smiles "And you know what the first thing is that I'm going to put in my little cubicle?"

"What?"

"A picture of me and my beautiful fiancée."

"Before her accident." I add

"No." He shakes his head and moves to sit on the bed next to me, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he does so "I'm going to use the one we take _right now_."

"Robbie, no." I protest and hide my face in his shoulder "I look like shit."

"You look beautiful."

"You're entitled to say that, you're my fiancé."

"I'm not saying it because I'm entitled to, I'm saying it because it's true." He tells me "Everything about you is beautiful all the time."

"Oh stop it."

"It's true." He kisses the top of my head "Come on, just take the picture please."

"I don't want the oxygen tube to be in it."

"Cat."

"Fine." I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder "Take the picture."

"You have to smile."

"You're awake I see." A nurse laughs as she enters my room

"She's awake alright." Robbie laughs "She just won't smile for a picture for my desk at work."

"You already got me to take the picture when I didn't want to I think you- Ouch!" I exclaim

"What?" Robbie asks "What's wrong?"

"I pricked the bottom of her toe with a needle." The nurse tells us

"And I felt it." I gasp "Robbie! I felt it!"

"You felt it?"

"Yeah!" I grin, tears welling up in my eyes "I felt it! The surgery...it worked! I'm regaining feeling!"

"Looks like now you have something to smile about." He smirks

"Oh alright." I roll my eyes, smiling "Take the picture."

He holds the phone out in front of us and snaps a picture, then wraps both his arms around me and pulls me into a huge hug.

"I felt it." I say again, bursting into a stream of happy tears "I felt it, I felt it, I felt it!"

"I know you did." He chuckles "I know you did, I know you did, I know you did!"

"Robbie..." I look at him, still crying, but smiling "I'm gonna walk again!"

"You're gonna walk again." He grins, hugging me again "I love you!"

"I love you, too!" I exclaim

This is the happiest I've been since the accident. It's also the first time I've seen any sign of hope whatsoever. I'm going to come back from this. It might not be easy, but I'm going to bounce back.


	17. Chapter 17

_Robbie's POV_

"Turn that thing off!" Cat hisses at me

"No way." I shake my head "I want this captured on film, it's a huge step."

"It's a _wheelchair_."

"It's going to give you _mobility._ " I remind her

Some nurses had come by earlier and helped Cat into her wheelchair, now all she needs to do is figure out how to work it. Mrs. Valentine pushed her out into the hallway while I got my video camera turned on. I want to capture this so she can have it forever. She might hate me for it now, but one day, I hope she'll appreciate it and understand what a big step this is for her.

"Say 'hi', Cat." I smile from behind the camera

"Hi." She sighs, rolling her eyes

"Okay to whoever is watching this, we're a little grumpy today. Cat had a surgery on her back a few days ago and the position she's been in makes it hard for her to sleep." I explain "But it's not a total loss because she has a little feeling in her big toe!"

"I can't move it, though." Cat sighs, looking discouraged

"Remember what the doctor said, sweetheart." Her mom reminds her "The feeling isn't going to come back all at once, it's a slow process."

"I know." She groans "I know."

"Alright!" I exclaim "Let's give this wheelchair a try! Shall we?"

"Why?" Cat asks "I'm _going_ to walk again, I don't need this stupid chair."

"Cat..."

I'm happy that she's so...optimistic. However, she appears to have forgotten the fact that there's only a _chance_ she'll walk again. Yes, the fact that she regained a little feeling in her one toe is a step in the positive direction, but we still have no way of really knowing for sure.

"Okay..." I take a few steps back from Cat's wheelchair "Try rolling to me..."

"I feel like a toddler..." She sighs

"That's the basic idea of how this process works." I shrug "Now c'mere."

She grabs both wheels on either side of her and pushes herself forward a few feet, but not very far.

She's weak, there's no upper arm strength. She's been in the hospital for close to two months now, she's _very_ weak.

"You got it." I encourage her "Keep going."

She pushes her self forward another few feet, grunting this time.

"This is...harder...than I thought." She sighs

"That's why you practice." Her mom reminds her "Remember, as soon as you can prove that you've mobilized yourself, you can go home."

"And if that's not an incentive..." I add "I don't know what is."

"Right." She nods "I wanna go home."

I'm not even sure what 'home' is for her right now. In theory, it would be an apartment that we both live in together. But I haven't actually gotten around to apartment hunting yet, and I won't be able to find one before she's discharged. I doubt she'll want to stay at my parent's house with me, it certainly isn't handicap friendly, I learned that the hard way.

Then there's the loft, where she lived with Tori and Jade before the accident...but I'm not sure if that building even _has_ an elevator. Anytime I've gone over, I've always taken the stairs, because they're right in front of you when you enter. Plus, once Beck and Jade are married, Jade is moving out, she's already started packing. So if there's no elevator in the building, Tori will more than likely sell the place and move in with Andre. Leaving us stuck.

We're going to have to live with our parents until I can find us a place. But there's no shame in that...I don't think.

Cat manage to move herself all the way down the hallway from her room, to the nurse's station, causing he three ladies at the desk to burst into applause, and Cat to blush.

"Awesome job, baby." I grin and kiss the top of her head "Ready to try a corner?"

She nods.

"Alright follow me." I tell her and start walking backwards

She tries to turn left, but ends up going right and bumps into the desk.

"Sorry..." She whispers

"It's fine, sweetheart." One of the nurses tells her "Don't worry abut it. Keep trying!"

She backs the chair up a few inches and attempts to turn left again, but ends up repeating her self and goes right. Only this time, instead of bumping the desk, she spins herself in a circle. I can her frustration in her face, I can also tell she's trying her very best to hide it...but she breaks.

"Shit..." She cries into her hands "Robbie, turn the camera off!"

"Of course." I power the camera off and snap it shut, rushing to her aid "Baby...it's okay."

"No it's not!" She snaps "I'm _never_ going to figure this out! Never!"

"Baby, you've only been at it ten minutes." I chuckle "You'll get it don't worry."

"Don't laugh at me! You don't understand!"

"Not completely, no." I sigh, kneeling down next to her chair "But I know how frustrating it can be when you first use crutches. Those aren't the most pleasant things either. But eventually, I got a hang of it. You will too. I promise."

"I don't wanna be in this stupid chair..." She whispers

"I know..." I brush a piece of hair out of her face "I know you don't, but it's better than complete immobility, right?"

"I guess..."

"Do you want to be done for today?" I ask her

She nods.

"Okay." I kiss her cheek "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" One of the nurses at the desk responds

"Can you help Cat back to bed?" I ask politely "She wore herself out."

"Of course." She smiles sympathetically, then, along with another nurse, emerges from behind the desk and wheels Cat back to her room.

"You know..." Mrs. Valentine smirks, walking along side me a few paces behind Cat and the nurses "You handled that perfectly. she's really lucky she has you."

"I'm the lucky one." I shake my head "She's everything to me."

"It's not hard to tell." She smiles, then enters the hospital room


	18. Chapter 18

_Cat's POV_

"Cat, sweetheart..." My mom whispers "Wake up."

"But I _just_ fell asleep!" I groan

"No." She laughs "You've been out cold for a solid nine hours. Come on, you get to go home today."

My eyes shoot open.

She's right. I get to leave today. I'm _finally_ going to get out of this hospital bed, out of this tiny little room, and I'll get to go _home_.

"I'm going home with you and Dad, right?" I ask her

"That's the plan." She tells me "You're loft doesn't have an elevator, does it?"

"No." I shake my head

I really wish I could go back to my loft, though. I've lived there since my sophomore year of college, I love it there. I also _really_ miss Tori and Jade. The nurses and doctors made a special exception by letting Robbie into visit me, my parents weren't able to convince them to make two more, so it's been almost two months since I've seen my two best friends.

"Tori and Jade can come over later, if you'd like." My mom offers, sensing my disappointment "I know you miss them."

"Thanks." I smile "Is Robbie here?"

"No he's at work." She reminds me

"Oh yeah...can he come over later too?"

"Of course."

* * *

"Bye Cat!" One of the nurses smiles as my father pushes me past the desk

"Bye Connie!" I wave "Bye Nancy! Bye Carol! Bye Donna!"

"Bye!" They all laugh and wave as we turn down the hallway

You spend two months somewhere, you really get to know the people taking care of you.

"You'll have to come back and visit them." My mother tells me "They really love you."

My dad pushes me past the waiting area and out the elevators. When we arrive down in the lobby, he hands me off to my mom and runs ahead of us, presumably to get the car.

This will be the first time I've ridden in a car since the accident. Every time I think about it, my head plays flashbacks of bright headlights, car horns, and metal hitting metal.

"You'll be okay..." My mom rubs my shoulder as my Dad pulls up to the curb

"Will you sit in the back with me?" I ask her "Please?"

"If that will make you feel better, sure." She smiles

My dad opens the back door to the car and clears some thing out of the way, then picks me up out of my chair and puts me inside, closing the door behind me.

I see him and my mother folding up my chair outside the window as I glance around the car.

 _"Uh..." Robbie glances down to look at the directions he had printed and now has sitting on the floor of the car "We should be there in abou-"_

 _Ahead of us, we see taillights swerving, revealing a bright pair of headlights heading our direction_

 _"ROBBIE!" I scream_

I shake my head and try to push the memory out of my head as my mom climbs into the backseat next me.

"Ready?" She asks

I nod.

"Okay." My father grins at me in the rearview mirror "Let's go home."

The car starts forward and I panic, reaching for my mother's hand.

"Shhh..." She comforts me "You're okay, it's okay. Don't worry, we'll be home soon."

* * *

Obviously, I'm unable to return to my childhood bedroom at my parent's house, because it's upstairs. So my parents converted our sunroom on the first floor, right off the kitchen, into a makeshift bedroom for me for the time being. They offered to move a TV in there for me, but I know if I allow that I'll never leave the room. So I move myself back and forth from the sunroom to the living room where the TV is, and the kitchen all day.

There's not many interesting programs on in the afternoon, so I've spent a majority of my day so far watching Say Yes To The Dress and other shows of the same variety playing on TLC.

"Man, I don't miss _that_ process." Jade laughs

I turn my head to see her and Tori standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

"Oh my god!" I gasp "Guys! Hi!"

They both squeal and run over to my chair, each hugging me on either side.

"I'm so happy you're home." Jade tells me

"And that you're healthy and safe." Tori adds "God, you're ring is _gorgeous_."

"Thanks." blush, extending my hand for them to see "I heard you two helped pick it out."

"We sure did." Jade smiles "Robbie had the final say, though. Do you like it?"

"I _love_ it." I grin

"I brought you something." She tells me, getting up and retrieving the garment bag she had discarded on the floor when she ran to hug me "It's you bridesmaid dress."

She opens the bag for me to see. The dress is beautiful. It's dark purple satin, with one shoulder, and looks like it will come down to just below my knee.

"It's great." I tell her "I don't know if it will fit though...we got those measurements done before the accident...and I've lost so much weight..."

"Don't worry, we can get it taken in if we need to."

"I can't even _stand_." I sigh

"You can be measured sitting down, I promise."

"Besides..." Tori kneels down and lifts my blanket off my feet, running her finger along the top of my big toe "You're making progress, aren't you?"

"Stop it." I chuckle "That tickles."

"But it made you smile, that's what I was going for."

"I know what will make you feel better." Jade smirks taking her purse off her shoulder and pulling out a DVD copy of _10 Things I Hate About You_ "It's never _not_ a good time for a movie day."


	19. Chapter 19

_Robbie's POV_

"You're really terrible at this you know?" Cat laughs

She had asked me to help her paint her toenails to match her bridesmaid dress since 'toenail polish stays on forever so we might as well just do it now', even though the wedding is still a week and a half away.

"There's a reason guys don't do this stuff!" I tell her "Because we're terrible at it!"

"I know, I can see that." She chuckles "I should've had Jade or Tori do it while they were here."

"Well, you're stuck with me now."

"I don't mind." She shrugs "I love you."

"Aw." I take her hand and kiss it "I love you too."

"I start physical therapy tomorrow." She tells me as I continue to paint "And check this out."

She moves her big toe, the same one in which she had started to regain feeling in, back and forth a few times.

"Oh my gosh!" I gasp "You can move it!"

"Yeah." She grins "I'm making progress."

"I'm glad." I smile "You're on your way to walking."

She nods. And the conversation dies off.

"How was work today?" She asks, picking the conversation back up again

"It was alright." I shrug "Nothing special happened, but it wasn't terrible. I would've much rather been here with you though."

"I wish you would've been here too." She sighs "But hey, we're adults now, gotta accept that."

"Speaking of adulthood..." I tell her, standing up to retrieve my laptop from my bag "I have some stuff I want to show you."

"Um, you haven't finished my toes yet." She laughs

"I will in a second, hang on." I promise, opening my laptop and pulling up a webpage "I found this place...it's only a few blocks from where I work, and only about two miles from your parents. There's two bedrooms and one bathroom, the floor plan is really open so you wouldn't have a hard time moving your chair around..."

I put my computer on her lap to show her pictures of the apartment.

"I can't afford it just yet..." I tell her "But after another paycheck or so, I'll be able to make the down payment, and then the rent won't be so bad."

"I don't want you to think I'm just leeching off of you Robbie..." She gives me a sad look "I have _no_ money whatsoever and I-"

"Hey hey hey." I stop her "When I gave you that ring, I promised to take care of you, yes? So don't you think for even a second that you're 'leeching', okay? I _love_ you. I want to take care of you as long as you need me to and even then some. I want to live with you."

"Who will take care of me during the day while you're at work? I can't stay home by myself."

"I'm not saying we need to move _right now_." I remind her "In a few months, more than likely. And of you still need to be taken care of well...then...we'll figure that out when we get there."

* * *

"Does it fit okay?" The tailor asks as I examine my tux in the mirror

"Yup?" I tell him, turning to look at it from all angles "It's perfect, thanks."

"Purple ties, right Beck?" Andre asks

"Yup." Beck nods "The same color as the girl's dresses."

"I'm just shocked everything isn't black." Beck's old roommate, Nate, laughs "Knowing Jade and everything."

"Oh same here." Beck chuckles "But I like the way it turned out, purple is good."

"Not like you'd have much of a say." Andre laughs "The bride basically controls everything."

"Yeah." Beck agrees "You ready for that, Rob?"

"Cat can have whatever she wants." I laugh "It's her day, I'm just an accessory."

"Ain't that the truth."

"So where's the honeymoon?" I ask

"New York." Beck tells me "Jade has always wanted to go. We figure we'll do some sight seeing, maybe see a few broadway shows, rent a car and drive to the beach if there's time."

"Don't tell Cat." I sigh "She's always wanted to go to New York too. She'll die if she finds out."

"I'm pretty sure she already knows." Andre informs me "At least that's what I think Tori said."

"Shit."

"She'll be fine." Beck assures me "All you have to do is take her someplace better when it's your turn. No pressure."

"Thanks." I roll my eyes "I'm sure I'll figure something out."

"Something tells me Cat won't care." Andre admits "She loves you, man. A lot. So you could honestly take her to a motel in the middle of nowhere and she would still be the happiest person alive."

"Isn't that how all marriages are supposed to work?"

"Well yeah."

"Just a piece of advice though, bro..." Nate tells me "Don't take her to a beat up motel in the middle of nowhere. That's a death wish."

"Yeah." I chuckle "Don't worry, I know."


	20. Chapter 20

_Cat's POV_

"I owe you guys for this." I tell Tori and Jade as they help me into my bridesmaid dress

Tori holds me upright as Jade slides the dress up and around me, then zips it.

"You all good?" Tori asks Jade

"Yup." She responds

"Okay, Cat, I'm gonna put you down now, okay?"

"Okay."

She lowers me slowly back into my wheelchair.

"Thanks guys." I sigh "I know that must've been awkward."

"Please." Tori scoffs "I'm pretty sure we've both seen you in less than you're bra and underwear."

"Yeah, you're probably right." I laugh as I try to wheel myself over to the makeup table, accidentally bumping into a chair on my way "Sorry, I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing."

"No big deal." Jade assures me, and moves the chair out of the way

"Are you nervous?" I ask her as she sits down at the table next to me

"A little." She shrugs "But I'm marrying my best friend. There's nothing I can really be worried about."

"That's the right attitude." Tori agrees as she sits down on the other side of Jade "Hey, where's your sister?"

"She went to get the flowers." Jade sighs "Hopefully she'll be back soon."

"She's walking with Nate, right?"

"Yeah. And then you and Robbie. And Cat and Andre."

"Wait." I stop her "Why don't _I_ get to walk with Robbie?"

"Because you're the maid of honor and Andre is the best man." She reminds me "That's how it works."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, it's only for the ceremony and for the entrances at the reception." She tells me "Then you can spend the rest of the night dancing away with Robbie."

Tori smacks Jade on the shoulder and shoots her a look.

"Shit... Cat I'm sorry, I forgot that-"

"It's fine." I wave her off "I still have a hard time remembering myself. It's okay, really it is."

"I'm so-"

"Ah ah ah." I stop her "Drop it."

* * *

"Okay!" The wedding coordinator announces "I need the maid of honor and the best man up here in front by the doors please!"

"That's you." Robbie smiles and leans down to kiss my cheek "Just think, next time we do this, it'll be _our_ wedding."

"And I'll be able to walk." I add

"And you'll be able to walk."

"Ready to go, Lil' Red?" Andre asks me

I nod and he takes my chair, pushing me forward towards the doors to the church.

"Okay, once the music starts, you two start going." The wedding coordinator tells us "Got it?"

"Got it." Andre nods

The organ music starts playing inside the church, the doors open, and Andre starts pushing me down the isle. All heads turn to look at us. All of a sudden I feel horribly self-conscious, Andre rubs my shoulder reassuringly, but it doesn't help that much.

At the front of the church, Andre goes to stand next to Beck, and I take over my chair, wheeling myself to the opposite side of the altar. Robbie escorts Tori in after us, followed by Beck's roommate and Jade's sister. Tori stands next to me and gives me a reassuring look as the little boy that Jade had nannied for the past few summers, the ring barer, makes his way down the isle, followed closely by Beck's niece, their flower girl.

I can't help but feel that everybody is staring at me and my wheelchair, thinking to themselves ' _Isn't that the girl Jade was friends with in high school? What happened to her?_ '

I shake my head, trying to clear all the negative thoughts from my head. When Jade and her stepfather enter in the back of the church, I remember why I'm here. Because Jade is my best friend, I'd do anything for her. And I know she'd do anything for me.

* * *

"And now it's time for the bride and groom to have their first dance!" The DJ announces

Beck and Jade make their way out onto the dance floor and start swaying back and forth to the music playing from the speakers.

"What do you think our first dance should be?" Robbie leans over and whispers to me

"I dunno." I shrug "I haven't really given it much thought yet."

"That's okay." He assures me and takes a sip of his champagne "We have time."

I wish I could be drinking some too, but the medication I'm on right now isn't supposed to mix with alcohol. I certainly hope I'm off of it before my wedding, or even better, my bachelorette party.

"Sorry." Robbie apologizes "I shouldn't be drinking that in front of you."

"It's fine." I tell him "You shouldn't have to sacrifice your good time because of me."

The song ends and another one begins, more people begin filing onto the dance floor to join Beck and Jade, including Tori and Andre, but Robbie stays with me.

"But I'm not having a good time if I know you're upset." He leans over and kisses me "C'mon, come dance with me."

"Robbie no!" I stop him "This chair takes up too much space! I'll only be in the way!"

"Fine." He shrugs

He pushes my chair back to the table, leans down and picks me up bridal style.

"Robbie Shapiro!" I exclaim "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to dance with my beautiful fiancée at our best friend's wedding." He laughs "What does it look like?"

"If I could kick you, I would." I sigh, leaning my head against his shoulder

There's no use in fighting him, not like I could anyway.

He stands on the edge of the dance floor, holding me, swaying back and forth gently. I've lost so much weight, it's not even difficult for him to hold me like this for a long period of time.

"Okay." I admit "This is actually kinda nice."

"You don't even care that people are staring?" He asks

"For the first time in my life...no." I smile, kissing his cheek

He leans down and kisses my lips, then rests his forehead on mine, smiling for the rest of the song.


	21. Chapter 21

_Robbie's POV_

We got in pretty late the night of Beck and Jade's wedding. So late, I guess it's technically considered the next morning. Which is why I wasn't that surprised that Cat was still asleep when I showed up at her house the following day around 1:30.

Her mom is home, and she let's me in, greeting me at the door with a smile.

"You got in pretty late last night." She laughs as we walk down the front hallway into the kitchen

"Yeah, I think it was around two, two-thirtyish." I tell her "Cat's still asleep?"

"Oh most definitely." She nods "It was the big day for her. That's the most she's been out and about since before the accident, it took all the energy right out of her."

"I know." I agree "I'm surprised she didn't fall asleep on the car ride home."

"She's still paranoid about being in cars, moving ones at least." Her mother sighs

"I noticed."

She had a white knuckle grip on the handle on the car door the entire time she was in the car, and she flinched at the sound of every horn that sounded from any direction. Once I tried to reach over and take her hand, just to ease her nerves a little bit, and she screamed at me to keep both hands on the wheel, and both eyes on the road.

"Can I get you anything?" Mrs. Valentine asks as I sit down at the island in the kitchen "Something to drink? A snack or something?"

"I'm fine." I tell her "But thank you."

"You know, I'm sort of surprised you didn't stay the night." She says as she pours herself a cup of coffee

"I didn't think you and Mr. Valentine would like that." I admit "I mean, with us not being married yet and everything."

"You spent the night at the hospital how many times?" She raises an eyebrow at me "And you would've been right downstairs, nothing bad would've happened. We trust you, Robbie. You have permission to stay the night whenever you'd like."

"Thank you." I smile "That means a lot."

"Well you and Cat both mean a lot to us."

"Mom?" I hear Cat whimper from the sunroom just a few feet away "Mom, I need help..."

"Go ahead." Mrs. Valentine nods towards the doors that connect the two rooms "She'd probably prefer you over me anyway."

"Okay." I chuckle, standing up and walking over to the door

I open one of the double doors slowly, peaking my head inside. Cat's laying on the bed, still in her bridesmaid dress from the night before. I had carried her in last night, put her down on the bed, and turned to find her a change of clothes. When I turned back around, she was fast asleep. So I had just covered her up with a blanket, kissed her forehead, and left, not wanting to wake her.

"Good morning, beautiful." I smile "Or should I say, good afternoon."

"Robbie." She grins "Hi. What...what time is it?"

"Um..." I check my watch "It's about 1:45."

"In the afternoon?!"

"Yeah, in the afternoon." I chuckle, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes "That's okay though, you had a big day yesterday."

"Did Beck and Jade make it to the airport okay?" She asks

"Yup." I nod "They're in the air on their way to New York as we speak."

"Good." She sighs "That's...that's good."

"Nothing bad will happen to them." I assure her "I promise."

"I know." She nods "I know nothing will, but I just can't help it."

"I know." I lean down and kiss her forehead

"Why aren't you at work?" She asks

"It's Sunday." I remind her

"Oh yeah." She shakes her head "Sorry, all the days just kinda blend together now."

"Well, I'm yours all day today." I smile "If that's what you want, but if you need a 'Cat Day', just say the word and i'll be gone."

"I get a 'Cat Day' everyday when you're at work." She giggles "Stay with me today, please?"

"Of course."

* * *

"See?" Cat grins as she moves her left foot back and forth "I told you!"

"Well would you look at that." I chuckle "Didn't I tell you everything was going to be fine?"

"I know." She sighs "I just...I wish it was a faster process, you know? Like, I want to be able to move more than just my _one_ foot."

"Patience, grasshopper." I smile and kiss her temple "In due time, in due time."

"I know."

I helped her et up and get dressed, she ate, and now we're laying on one of the couches in her living room, watching classic Disney movies, per her request. I'm happy to oblige, it's rare that I get more than three hours at a time with her now.

"When do you start physical therapy?" I ask her

"Tomorrow." She groans

"Hey, it's a good thing. Remember?" I nudge her "They might be able to help get you walking sooner. And you remember what happens once you can walk, right?"

"We get to get married." She smiles, turning to kiss me

"We get to get married." I repeat "You know that doesn't actually matter to be though, right? If you can walk or not?"

"I know it doesn't." She leans her head back, so it's resting on my shoulder "But it matters to me."

"I know it does."

"Do you want to have a big wedding?" She asks

"I want whatever you want."

"Robbie." She groans "Come on."

"I don't want a thousand people there." I tell her "But I want more than like...ten. You know?"

"Thank you!" She laughs "That actually helps me some."

"Well you're welcome then." I chuckle "You get to pick the color scheme though. Whatever color bridesmaid dresses you want, what ever color decorations you want, you can have."

"Really?"

"Really. I'm completely incompetent in that area anyways."

"Yeah you are." She agrees

"Hey!"

"I love you!" She giggles, and turns to kiss my cheek

"I love you too."


	22. Chapter 22

_Robbie's POV_

"Hey Rob!" My coworker, John, sticks his head up over the divider between our cubicles "Some of us are gonna go grab lunch at Inside Out Burger. You in?"

"No thanks." I tell him, holding up my sandwich that I'm eating "I'm brown bagging it today. And probably everyday between now and my forty-fifth birthday..."

"Ah that's right." He smirks "Somebody has a wedding to save up for."

"Our parents are taking care of that, thank god." I laugh "But between the two of us, we have seven and a half years worth of student loans to pay off, AND an apartment to start saving up for."

"You have fun with that." He chuckles "I'll se you later."

"See ya." I wave as he leaves, then turn my attention back to my computer screen.

Crunch the numbers. Analyze the data. Write the report.

It's the same thing all day, everyday. But they pay me well, and the fact that I even found a job this soon after graduation is a miracle.

The clock on the corner of my computer screen tells me it's almost one o'clock. A physical therapy appointment that started at eleven should be done by now, right?

I pick up the office phone on my desk and dial Cat's cell number. After a few rings, thankfully, she picks up.

"Hey..." She answers, she sounds tired

"Hi." I try to sound a little more excited "You okay? You sound a little off."

"Physical therapy sucks, Robbie."

"Oh...I'm sorry." I tell her "Was it really _that_ bad?"

"They make me do all these stupid exercises that physically _hurt_ me." She complains

"Hurt you how?" I ask

If somebody is hurting _my_ Cat, I want to know about it so I can make it stop. She doesn't deserve that.

"They're just hard..." She explains "Like, my muscles don't have the endurance to keep doing them over and over like the therapists make me."

"But that's why you have to do them over and over." I remind her "So that you build up that endurance and your muscles get stronger. And then you'll be able to walk again."

"I know..." She sighs

"Yeah." I mimic her tone

"Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not making fun of you." I laugh "So what are you up to?"

"I'm sitting my chair, in my living room, watching reruns of Say Yes to the Dress. Just like I do every other day."

"Sounds exciting."

"Well it's not." She groans "Seriously Robbie, I'm lonely!"

"Isn't your mom home?"

"Well yeah, but she's working in her office."

"You know if I could be there with you right now, I would." I tell her 'But-"

"You've gotta work. I know." She sighs "Maybe I should start looking into going back to school online...it would give me something to do instead of just sitting here watching reruns all day."

"That's a good idea." I agree "And hey, if you're just watching TV all day, have you been at least scouting out for some dresses you like?"

"Please." She scoffs "We can't afford these designers."

"You never know." I shrug

"Let's just work on an apartment first." She tells me

"Okay, sounds fair." I chuckle "I've gotta get back to work now though before my boss catches me."

"Alright." She sighs "I love you."

"I love you too, beautiful." I tell her "See you tonight."

"See ya."

* * *

"How old is she?" I ask the woman helping me at the animal shelter

" _He_ is almost two." She laughs "The family who owned him previously had to relocate overseas."

I look at the beagle in the pen in front of me, playing with his toy. The woman, her name tag says 'Brandy', opens the cage for me and allows me to step inside.

"Hey buddy." I kneel down and let him sniff me "Is he gentle?"

"Oh very much so." She assures me "The family he came from had two young kids, and the husband was an amputee."

"Really?"

She nods.

"My fiancée...she's paralyzed from the waist down. At least for the time being." I tell her "He'd be okay with her?"

"Most definitely." She smiles "He's very energetic and playful when he needs to be, but he's also the world's best cuddler."

"Well then little guy..." I laugh "Looks like I might be your new Dad."

* * *

 _Cat's POV_

"What kind of wedding dress do you think you'll want?" My mom asks me

"Mom." I sigh

"What?"

"Let's set a date first." I tell her "Please."

"Fair enough." She shrugs as the doorbell rings "There's your fiancé!"

"You think he would be comfortable enough to just walk in my now." I laugh as she gets up to answer the door "That's what Jade and Tori do."

My mom exits the room and I turn my attention back to the TV, but only for a minute or so. I hear the sound of something scraping against the tile in the kitchen, and I can her Robbie and my mom talking in hushed tones in the hallway. It' hard to make out what they're saying, but I her my name come up a few times.

"Mom?" I call, hoping she'll hear me

I hear someone coming, but instead of my mom entering the living room, a dog does instead. It's a beagle.

"Oh." I chuckle "Hello!"

He cocks his head to the side, looking at me questionably. I whistle and his ears perk up, he runs over to me ad sits at the foot of my chair.

"You're a cute lil' guy." I tell him, patting my lap.

He stands up on his back legs and puts is front paws on my knees.

"I see you've met Arlo." Robbie chuckles, entering the living room, followed closely by my mom.

"So that's your name." I giggle "Arlo. Is he your's Robbie?"

"Actually." Robbie smiles "He's your's. Well, _our's_ technically, but I got him for you."

"Really?" I gasp

"You said you were lonely." He shrugs "I figured, why not find you someone to keep you company when I'm not around."

"Oh thank you, Robbie!" I kiss his cheek

"You're taking him with you when you move in together." My mom says

"Of course." Robbie agrees "Thanks for letting him stay here with Cat for the time being."

"You're welcome." She smiles

"He's two years old." Robbie tells me "Or he almost is. The family he came from had to relocate overseas and couldn't take him with...but the husband was an amputee...so he's super gentle and really friendly."

"Perfect." I smile "Thank you, Robbie. I love you."

"I love you too."


	23. Chapter 23

_Cat's POV_

"Arlo!" I exclaim

The dog, who's laying on the floor maybe twenty feet away, perks up and turns to look at me.

"Hey buddy!" I smile and pat my lap "C'mere!"

Arlo gets to his feet and runs over to my spot on the couch, jumping up into my lap, and licking my face.

"Oh thank you!" I coo "I love me some puppy dog kisses!"

I'm so happy that Robbie gave me Arlo. He's super sweet, and playful, but when I need him to be, he's cuddly as well. It cane get lonely here all day by myself. Sure, my mom is in the house when I need her, but she's working in her office. Arlo is great company.

The doorbell rings and Arlo perks up again.

"Don't." I warn him as my mom goes to answer the door "Arlo..."

The dog jumps out of my lap and runs out of the room, presumably to investigate whoever is at the door. It sort of hurt when he pushed off my legs, but I take it as a god sign. That means I'm regaining feeling in my upper legs too.

Robbie enters the room a few minutes later, dog at his heels, still in his clothes from work.

"Hi." He greets me with a kiss

"Hi." I smile "Are you gonna walk the puppy?"

Part of the deal Robbie made with my parents when we got Arlo was that he'd walk him whenever he visits, since I don't really have the ability to, and he thought it was unfair for my parents to have to take care of _our_ dog.

"I will in a bit." He tells me "Do you wanna come with?"

"Wow." I grin "You're fucking hilarious."

"I'm serious!" He tells me "I'll push you in your chair and you can hold the leash!"

"So you can parade me around the neighborhood like a baby in a stroller?" I ask him "No thanks."

"Cat." He sighs "When was the last time you went outside?"

"Probably Beck and Jade's wedding..."

"See? You need to get some fresh air." He tells me "Now come on, where's your chair?"

"It's in the sunroom..." I sigh

I know I've lost this battle.

* * *

"See?" Robbie squeezes my shoulder as we walk "This isn't so bad!"

"I know it's not." I roll my eyes "You win."

I have to admit, it feels really nice to be outside. The sun is setting, so it's not to hot, but it's not freezing either. There's a slight breeze, and it blows my hair across my face, but it's not that annoying. It feels good.

A squirrel runs across the street in front of us and Arlo goes insane, barking and tugging at his leash. He's a small dog, but he's strong and he almost pulls me out of my chair.

"Arlo!" Robbie scolds "Stop that! You're hurting Mommy!"

"Mommy?" I raise an eyebrow at him

"Oh so you can refer to me as 'Daddy' but the second I use 'Mommy' it's weird?" He laughs

"No!" I exclaim "You just, you gave me a lot of crap for using 'Daddy' so I'm surprised is all."

"Well both of our names are on his adoption papers, so we're technically his parents." He reminds me

"That's true..." I agree

"Who knows..." He sighs "Maybe one day we'll be walking him with a baby stroller in tow, instead of a wheelchair..."

"Robbie!" I groan and lean my head back against his arms "One step at a time please!"

"Okay!" He laughs "Okay, okay. So what's the next step?"

"Learning to walk again and planning the wedding?"

"That's _one_ step?"

"I know, it's a big step." I shake my head "That's just what I want to get accomplished next."

"So let's talk wedding then..." He suggests as we turn a corner

"Okay."

"Do you have any ideas yet at all?"

"I dunno..." I shrug "I was thinking pink...not like an obnoxious pink, but like, baby doll pink. And then we could pair it with maybe white and gray accents."

"That sounds nice." He tells me, leaning down to kiss my cheek "You wanna have it here in LA? Or do you want to go somewhere?"

"I don't want a destination wedding, if that's what you're asking." I tell him "In my opinion, that just defeats the purpose of the honeymoon."

"Then we'll have it here." He agrees "Nothing beats LA anyways."

* * *

"Ready?" My physical therapist asks me

I nod. I don't actually know if I'm ready or not, but it's worth a shot.

"One...two...three!"

Two nurses on either side of me help stand me up straight, out of my chair. My legs are stiff, and I still can't feel one hundred percent of both of them, but I'd say I'm at about eighty. It feels...odd to be standing, but it's a good odd.

"How does it feel?" She asks me

"Weird." I admit "But...I like it."

"You've made a tremendous amount of progress." She smiles "You should be proud."

I wish I could walk, but I'm not ready for that yet. I'm not even sure that I could move my foot forward on my own, it would take a lot of effort.

"Will I be able to walk by my wedding?" I ask her

"When is that?"

"I dunno." I shrug "Sometime at the end of the summer, beginning of fall, hopefully. We haven't set an _official_ date yet."

"You should do that." She suggests "Then we'll have a goal to work towards, something you can hold yourself accountable for."

"Yeah." I nod "That's a good idea."


	24. Chapter 24

_Cat's POV_

 _"Do you, Robbie, take thee, Cat, to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"_

 _I'm standing face to face with Robbie, a priest between us, I can see Andre and Beck standing behind him, smiling._

 _"I do." He grins at me_

 _"Do you, Cat, take thee, Robbie, to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"_

 _I'm not exactly sure how I got here, I don't remember buying a wedding dress, but the one I'm wearing is gorgeous. I don' remember planning a wedding, but the church we're in is beautiful. Jade and Tori are wearing gray bridesmaids dresses, I wanted pink, but gray was in the color scheme too, so I guess that's fine._

 _I look around and notice that everyone, including Robbie, is waiting for me to answer._

 _"I do." I nod_

 _"I now pronounce you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shapiro!" The priest smiles "You may now kiss the bride!"_

 _Robbie pulls me close to him and kisses me, then leads me down the isle and out to the waiting limo._

 _"I love you!" He tells me as he opens the door for me to climb inside_

 _"I love you, too." I tell him_

 _He slides in and closes the door behind him and the car starts to move forward._

 _"I'm so happy we're finally married." He takes my hand and kisses it_

 _"Me too."_

 _I wish I remember planning it, but I'm happy we're married._

 _The limo stops at a red light and Robbie and I continue to talk. I'm assuming we're on our way to the reception. The light changes to green and we start forward._

 _"I can't wait to-" Robbie begins, but is cut off when a semi truck crashes into the side of the car_

 _My head starts to spin, and for some reason, I stay conscious. I scream._

"Cat!" a voice exclaims

"No!" I scream "No!"

"Cat!" They say again "You're okay! It's okay!"

"Robbie!" I cry "Robbie I love you!"

"I love you too." Robbie assures me "Cat baby, just open your eyes, you're okay."

I open my eyes and see that I'm laying in his arms on the couch in my living my room, Pinocchio playing on the TV.

I try to sit up, but end up falling off the couch onto the floor with a loud thud.

"OW!" I exclaim

"Cat!" Robbie kneels down next to me on the floor "Baby, what happened?"

"I...I...I..." I stutter "We were married! But then we got into the limo to go somewhere and...and...and...truck...and"

"We got in a car accident, didn't we?" He asks

I nod.

"Baby..." He frowns, wrapping me in his arms again "It's okay, it was just a nightmare."

"I...I know." I say, my voice shaking "At least...I do now."

"Don't worry." He kisses my temple "I'll keep you safe."

"I have that one a lot..." I whisper "And there's another one, where our baby is in the next room screaming bloody murder because he hurt himself. And I can't go help him because my legs don't work..."

"Cat, I'm so sorry..."

"S'not your fault..." I sigh, leaning my head against his chest

"I have them too, sometimes." He admits "But most of the time, something happens to you, and I can't protect you."

"I hate that goddamn drunk driver..." I admit

"I know." He sighs "I hate 'em too."

* * *

"Pink?" Jade exclaims "Really?"

"Jade, come on." Tori sighs

"It's not gonna be obnoxious pink!" I assure her, flipping through a bridal magazine "It's like, a soft pink. Kinda like the color you'd paint a baby girl's nursery."

"Knowing you, that'd be like Malibu Barbie pink." Jade rolls her eyes

"Oh goddammit, Jade." I sigh, pulling my phone out "Something like this!"

I turn the screen towards her to show her one of the dresses I found on pinterest. They're light pink and come down to about an inch above the knee.

"Alright," She laughs " _That_ I can handle."

"Good." I scoff "Because you weren't getting much of a choice!"

"Have you set a date yet?" Tori asks

I wheel my chair away from the table so she can see it and just stare at her.

"That's a 'no'." Jade chuckles

"Sorry!" Tori apologizes "I forget sometimes, you handle it so well!"

"You've obviously never seen me at physical therapy..." I sigh "Or when I have a nightmare...but yeah...no date yet. Or venue. Or anything really besides bridesmaids and groomsmen."

"You have a color scheme!"

"Yeah okay, we have that." I admit "But like, we don't know _any_ kids. Who will our flower girl and ring barer be?"

"You don't necessarily need those." Jade shrugs

"Or just give Beck and Jade a year or so." Tori laughs

"Yeah no." Jade shakes her head "If that's what you choose, you won't be married for a few years."

"Well we're not getting married until I can walk." I tease her "But hopefully that _won't_ be years. Preferably weeks, more than likely months though."

"What?"

"Never mind." I sigh


	25. Chapter 25

_Robbie's POV_

"C'mon Arlo!" I say to the dog, who's busied himself sniffing around in Mrs. Valentine's flowers "Let's go inside and see Mommy."

He perks up at the mention of 'Mommy' and follows me into the house. Once we're inside and I've closed the door behind us, I bend down and unhook his leash, and he takes off running down the hallway.

"Arlo!" I hear Cat exclaim from the next room "Hi baby!"

When I enter the kitchen, I find him on her lap, licking her face. She grins from ear to ear. It makes me happy to see _her_ happy, despite all the pain she's been in, and continues to go through.

"I think it's obvious who his favorite is..." I chuckle, sitting down across from her at the kitchen table

"Oh he doesn't have a favorite!" She assures me "He's just excited to see me is all!"

"He's with you all day, every day!"

"Well..." She hesitates "You guys were gone for like fifteen minutes! That's...one hundred and five minutes in doggie time or something like that."

I can only laugh and shake my head as Arlo jumps down and wanders off into another room.

"See?" Cat chuckles "He's done with me now."

"Short attention span." I smile, glancing down at the magazine she had been looking through when we came back "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Weddin' dresses." She smirks

"Find any you like?"

"Not in my price range." She sighs

"Which would be?"

"Less than a thousand!" Her mother calls from her office down the hall "Preferably!"

"Less than a thousand." Cat chuckles "I _think,_ I'm not one hundred percent positive, but I think Tori, Jade and I agreed on bridesmaid dresses."

"That's great." I smile "What color?"

"The magazine calls them 'petal'..." She flips a few pages in the magazine and turns it towards me

"That's just light pink." I chuckle

"Yeah." She laughs "Basically. And I was thinking that since the color scheme is pink and gray, you and the boys could wear gray tuxes instead of black..."

"Would that match better?" I ask

"Probably." She giggles

"Then that's fine by me." I smile, leaning over and kissing her cheek "You know, we're making great progress on this wedding planning, but we're forgetting one very important thing..."

"The date?" She sighs

"That would be it." I nod "I mean, it's almost the end of July, didn't you say you wanted it to be at the end of the summer, maybe the beginning of fall?"

"Well yeah but..."

"But what?"

"Physical therapy isn't exactly going the way I thought it would..." She frowns "I'm not progressing as quickly as they originally thought I was..."

"Then we can push it back." I assure her "I know how important it is for you to _walk_ down the isle."

"But what if I never can?"

"Cat..."

"I feel so awful making you wait." She sniffs, like she might cry "It's not fair to you..."

"I'd wait my whole life to be married to you." I whisper "I love you _that_ much."

"October..." She whispers "No later than October..."

"What?"

"I want to be married by October." She clarifies "Walking or not, preferably walking, but I wanna be married to you more than I want to walk down the isle."

"You mean that?" I ask

"Yeah." She nods "Sure, walking is important to me, but so are you. If I can't walk, it'll be awful, but eventually, i'll get over it. It might take a while, but I'll get over it...you..."

"What about me?"

"I can't live without you..." She whispers, looking down "I love you."

"I love you, too." I chuckle, tilting he had up so our eyes meet, then planting a kiss on her lips "You sure about October."

"Yeah..."

"Alright..." I pull my phone out and open the calendar app "How does October fourth sound to you?"

"Is that the first Saturday?"

"It is."

"October fourth sounds perfect then."

"Okay." I smile "October fourth it is."

* * *

"October fourth?" My mother sounds surprised "So soon?"

"Um, yeah?" I raise an eyebrow at her "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"Well your father and I were engaged for almost two years before _we_ got married." She tells me "But I guess that was a different time. I'm happy you _finally_ set a date."

"You better get started on that apartment." My father adds

"Way ahead of you." I tell him "I have enough now to make the first down payment, Cat and I are going to go talk to the landlord on Saturday, hopefully we'll sign some paperwork."

"Good." My dad laughs "I'll finally get that home office I've been wanting."

"Thanks, Dad." I roll my eyes

"You know I love you, son."

"Yeah I do." I chuckle

"Who will take care of Cat while you're at work?" My mom asks "I mean, last I heard, she still needs _a lot_ of help getting around."

"I'll move in as soon as possible." I tell them "She'll move in when she's able to move around by herself or once were married, whichever comes first. Hopefully the waking will..."

"Gotta hand it to you, kid." My dad chuckles "You're pretty good at figuring things out."


	26. Chapter 26

_Cat's POV_

 _"Mama!" A little boy, maybe around a year and a half or so old, grins up at me_

 _I'm sitting on my bed in the sunroom, watching him play on a blanket on the floor._

 _"Hi buddy!" I smile_

 _He has my big brown eyes, and Robbie's crazy hair._

 _"Come play!" He laughs, standing up and toddling out of the room_

 _"Oh...um..." I hesitate, eying my wheelchair across the room from me "Just a second..."_

 _I can't reach that chair on my own, there's no way._

 _There's a crash in the next room over and I hear the baby scream._

 _"MAMA!" He cries "HELP!"_

 _"Just a second baby!" I exclaim, reaching out, trying to grab my chair_

 _I can't, it's too far away. With every second, my son's cries grow louder and more painful to listen to. I star to cry._

 _"MAMA!" He calls again_

 _"I'm trying, baby!" I yell "I'm trying!"_

 _I can't get to him, I can't help him. I'm stuck. My cry turns to sobs, matching the sound my son is making in the next room over._

 _"MAMA HELP!"_

I open my eyes, breathing heavy and gasping for air.

It was a dream, it was only a dream. But it was scary as hell.

I find my cell phone, buried under my pillow, and hit the button that will dial Robbie's number. It's almost two am, so when he answers after less than three rings, I'm surprised.

"Cat?" He answers, sounding half asleep "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I had another nightmare." I whisper, voice shaking

"Hold tight." He tells me "I'll be right there."

* * *

"Cat?" Robbie whispers, sticking his head through the door

"Robbie!" I exclaim

"Hey, baby." He enters the room and kneels down next to my bed "You had a nightmare?"

"Oh Robbie, it was awful..." I whimper

"Shhhh..." He tries to comfort me, brushing a strand of hair out of my face "You're okay now, do you want to talk about it?"

"It was the one about the baby..." I whisper "Something happened to him. I couldn't see him, but he was screaming and crying. I wasn't in my chair and I couldn't get up to help him...I failed him..."

"It wasn't real, baby..." Robbie assures me "I know it might've seemed that way, but it wasn't."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" I ask him "Please?"

"Of course..."

He kicks off his shoes and climbs into bed next to me, positioning himself so he's right next to me, and wraps an arm around my waist.

"Better?" He asks

"Yeah...better..." I whisper "Hey Robbie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

When I wake up the next morning, Robbie isn't by my side anymore. For a second I think I might have imagined him coming to my rescue in the middle of the night, until I turn my head and see that his shoes are still on the floor next to my bed, and the door to leading into the kitchen is slightly ajar.

"Hello?" I call

"Hi." Robbie smiles, entering the room "Good morning, beautiful."

"Is it morning?" I ask, looking around "It's still dark out."

"It's been raining all morning." He tells me "You hungry?"

I nod.

"Let's get you some breakfast then." He says, pulling my blanket off me and picking me up bridal style

"Why aren't you at work?" I ask him as he carries me into the kitchen "Is it Saturday?"

"No." He chuckles "I took the morning off to be with you!"

"How sweet..." I smile and kiss his cheek

"Thanks I try." He smirks as he sets me down in a chair at the kitchen table next to my mom

"Mornin' mama." I greet her

"Good morning, sweetheart." She smiles "Heard you had a rough night..."

"Robbie!"

"What?" He exclaims "You want me to just appear in your bedroom one morning and not explain why?"

"He was being a courteous young man." My mother assures me "Don't be mad at him."

"I'm not mad." I sigh as Robbie sets a plate of toast and a glass of orange juice in front of me "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He kisses my cheek and sits down at the table across from me, picking up the newspaper

"Did you see the second page?" My mom asks him

"Mhm." He nods "That's honestly the only reason I'm reading the _actual_ paper instead of the online one."

"What's on the second page?" I ask

"Details on Cyrus Hill's trial..." He says without even looking up at me

"Who's Cyrus Hill?"

"The drunk driver who caused your accident..." My mother sighs

"Did he get sentenced to life in prison?" I ask anxiously "He better have, he fucked up my life."

"It's not over yet..." Robbie tells me "But the odds don't really appear to be in his favor."

"There were too many witnesses." My mom shakes her head "He didn't have a prayer."

"Why didn't they ask me to testify?" I ask "Or Robbie?"

"I dunno." Robbie shrugs "Probably because neither one of us really remembers what happened."

"I remember what happened!" I exclaim "I relive it almost every night in a nightmare!"

"You experience a similar situation." Robbie corrects me "You don't relive every exact detail down to a tee."

"I guess you're right..." I sigh

"Don't worry baby..." He takes my hand "He won't get away with this."


	27. Chapter 27

_Cat's POV_

"Cat, calm down." Jade says calmly "You're fine."

Except that I'm not fine. I'm sitting in the passenger seat of her car, on our way to meet Tori for lunch. Except the main road leading to the mall is under construction, so it's stop and go traffic for miles.

"I'm just..." I stutter "It's..."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"It's still nerve wracking." I tell her "I hate cars."

"I know." She says sympathetically "Do you wanna hold my hand? Would that make it any better?"

"No!" I exclaim "You need both hands on the wheel! And stop looking at me! Keep your eyes on the road!"

A car behind us honks and I shriek, basically jumping out of my seat.

"He's just got road rage." Jade assures me "Nothing happened, we're safe."

"I hate cars..." I whisper, gripping the handle on the door next to me "I hate traffic."

"Alright." Jade sighs, putting her signal on

"What are you doing?" I ask

"Cutting through the parking lots." She tells me "It will probably get us there faster, and hopefully, you'll feel a bit more comfortable."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry." She shakes her head "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."

"I hate when people say that?"

"Say what?' She asks "That something isn't your fault?"

"Yeah..." I sigh "It's just basically code for 'there's nothing you can really do to change things'."

"Cat..."

"Whatever." I shake my head "Just forget I said anything."

"Do you wanna-"

"No." I say flatly "Not now."

"Okay..."

"How's the house?" I ask, desperately trying to change the subject

"Townhouse." Jade corrects me "It's getting there, I guess. We're still painting, and the bed is on backorder, so we're sleeping on an air mattress on the floor...but it's okay otherwise."

"You're like a real adult."

"You will be too, come October fourth." She smirks

"Yeah, but you have a college degree, and a real job." I remind her "A job where you get to pick your own hours!"

"Yeah, I guess I can't complain." She shrugs as she pulls into the parking lot in front of Chili's and cuts the ignition "Hang tight for a sec, I'll get your chair."

"It's not like I can go anywhere!"

She climbs out of the driver's seat and runs around to the trunk, pulling my chair out and opening it up all the way. She wheels it around to the passenger seat and opens the door.

"I could've opened the door myself." I sigh as I unbuckle

"You're fine." She tells me and picks me up out of the car

"Jade, this is weird!" I groan

"Relax, you only weigh like ninety pounds." she assures me and puts me in my chair "Do you want me to push you?"

"No." I shake my head as I maneuver my chair, spinning it around towards the building "I got it."

"Alright." She throws her hands up in surrender and follows me inside

* * *

"What's your price range again, Cat?" Tori asks

"Less than a thousand." My mom tells her

She actually needed to go into the office to drop off some paper work today, so she went while I was at lunch with Tori and Jade. Then, we all met at the bridal store in the mall to hopefully start the process of getting me a wedding dress.

"When's the big day?" The consultant who's helping us asks

"October fourth." I tell her

"Are these your bridesmaids?"

"Co-maids of honor." Jade corrects her

"There's only two of them." I shrug "They're both my best friend's, I couldn't pick just one."

"Will Robbie have two best men then?" My mother asks

"I have no idea."

"So do you have a specific designer in mind?" The consultant asks "Maybe a certain cut?"

"Actually..." I tell her, reaching for my purse "I found _this_ dress in a magazine...I was hoping to try it on, or at least something similar."

"You don't have to buy the first thing you try on." My mother reminds me

"Mom." I scoff "I've been watching Say Yes to the Dress almost non-stop for the past _three_ months, I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want."

"I know..." She sighs "I was just letting you know."

"I actually think we might have this one..." The consultant tells us "It's a Melissa Sweet...hang on, let me check."

* * *

"You're sure you wanna try this?' Jade asks me

"Yes." I nod "I've got a wedding dress, I need to start on the whole walking thing."

My dress is gorgeous. It's a strapless trumpet gown with floral lace and a tiered satin skirt. I didn't get to take it home, because thy need to alter it to fit me, but I love it. And I can't wait to, hopefully, walk down the isle in it come October fourth.

"But are you sure you're ready?" Tori asks "I don't want you to get hurt..."

"It's fine guys." I assure them "I tried it in physical therapy this morning and it went fantastic."

"Yeah but those people went to college for this sort of thing." Jade reminds me "I'm a writer and Tori's a teacher, we're not physical therapists."

"We'll be fine."

"If you insist..."

I wrap an arm each of their shoulders and on the count of three, they stand me up, out of my chair.

"Please don't let go." I beg them "I can't stand on my own, I don't want to fall."

"We've got you." Tori assures me "Don't worry."

I nod.

"Alright, I'm gonna try."

I channel everything I have and focus on moving my left foot forward. It takes a good thirty seconds, but I manage to make it happen.

"Oh my god." Jade gasps "Cat."

"I know." I nod, I feel like I could cry "I know."

Sure, one step isn't even anywhere close to walking. Especially if I can't even do it without the support of at least two people. But it's a start. It's a long way from where I was a week ago, and a long way from laying helpless in a hospital bed.


	28. Chapter 28

_Robbie's POV_

"Why can't I just walk in?" Cat whines as I lift her out of the passenger seat of my car and place her in her wheelchair "You saw me last night with Tori and Jade!"

"You needed _heavy_ support from _both_ of them though." I remind her "There's only one of me."

Honestly, she could only take one step at a time without exhausting herself, and she _really did_ need heavy support from both Tori _and_ Jade the entire time.

But progress is progress, and I'm extremely proud of her nonetheless. This is a major milestone for her.

"Fine." Cat pouts as I push her into the building "Aw Robbie, this place is so cute. Are we really gonna live here?"

"If we like the apartment." I chuckle

The building is a complex, and it's on the nicer side. So we'll have all the amenities we need and then some. The apartment will have two bedrooms and one bathroom, and a balcony as well. Everything is extremely handicap friendly too, everything about it seems perfect.

"Let's see..." I mutter "Landlord's office...landlord's office..."

"There!" Cat points to a sign on the wall "Down that hallway!"

"Thank you!" I kiss the top of her head and start pushing her chair

"Let me move myself, please." She begs

"Sure." I take my hands off the chair and walk next to her as we both make our way to the office

The door is open, but I still knock, just in case.

"Can I help you?" A man asks from behind the desk "Oh, are you Robbie?"

"That's me." I nod "Are you Phil Stevens?"

"That I am." He smiles, standing up and shaking my hand "Nice to meet you."

"Same." I tell him "This is my fiancée, Cat."

"Hi." Cat waves

"Hi." He shakes her hand as well "I understand you two are here to look at the open two-bedroom."

"That was the hope, yeah."

"Well..." He grabs a set of keys out of a drawer "Follow me."

He walks back down the hallway we came from, towards an elevator.

"Do you live in the area already?" He asks "Or are you from out of town?"

"We both grew up here for a majority of our lives..." I tell him "Cat was born in New York but her parents moved here..."

"Right after my first birthday." She finishes for me

"Yeah so we've both been here a while. I went to Cal State, she went to UCLA." I tell him "I have a job downtown, we like the area."

"Good, good." He smiles as we exit the elevator on the second floor "Natives are my favorites, the touristy type who spend a week here and decide they're in love...I don't know they're just..."

"Yeah." Cat laughs

"Yeah." I agree

We all know what he's trying to say.

"So here it is!" Phil smiles as he stops to unlock the door "Good ol' apartment 2C."

He opens the door and holds it open for Cat to roll inside, then steps in himself, and I follow.

It looks just like the pictures I saw online. It opens straight up to a living room with a small kitchen off to the right, and I'm assuming the doors in the back of the room lead to the bathroom and bedrooms.

There's no furniture in it right now(except for a bed in each of the rooms), I remember Phil saying the previous tenant moved out about a month or so ago, but it's still a very open space, so Cat is able to move around easily. And she takes advantage of that, moving her chair around to look at everything she can.

"We're allowed to paint, right?" She asks

"Of course." Phil nods "Maintenance will do it for free every three years, as long as you provide them the paint. However, if you don't want to wait that long, you'll have to do it yourself."

"You, Andre and Beck can handle painting if you need to, right?"

"Yeah sure." I shrug "So what are we looking at for monthly rent?"

"It's gonna be close to six hundred a month..." Phil sighs

I must cringe, because he sort of chuckles to himself.

"I know, it's a lot. But that's the area we're in." He shrugs "Most complexes in the area are gonna be up in the thousands, especially the closer you get to downtown."

"Yeah I know..."

"Oh my god!" Cat exclaims from one of the bedrooms "I _love_ this view, you can see downtown! It must be beautiful at night!"

"It really is!" Phil calls to her "So what do you think? Wanna sign some paper work?"

"Yeah." I nod "I think so."

* * *

"Can this be my room?" Andre asks as he walks around in the spare bedroom "For when I visit?"

"What the hell do you mean 'visit'?" Cat laughs "You literally live three blocks away, there's no need for you to have your own room!"

Cat obviously couldn't live at the loft anymore, so when Jade got married and moved out, Andre moved in with Tori. That's probably as serious as he'll be willing to get for the time being.

"Oh my gosh." Tori gasps "The view from the master is _amazing_."

We signed all the paperwork today around lunchtime, and Cat and I officially rent this apartment. We invited all our friends over to look around, and later, we're going to order pizza to celebrate.

"I know!" Cat agrees "I can't wait to move in here."

I'm going to start moving in slowly as soon as Cat and I agree on paint colors and the painting is finished. She'll move in once she's able to take care of herself on her own during the day without assistance, which will hopefully be soon.

"Okay." Jade enters the living room from the kitchen holding a package of solo cup and a bottle of wine "Everybody pass 'em around and take one."

"Wine?" I laugh "Not champagne?"

"It's what we had." She shrugs "Just take one."

"Okay."

"Um..." Cat hesitates "I probably shouldn't drink this..."

"Why?" Jade asks "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Jade..." Beck groans

"No." Cat shakes her head "I'm not pregnant...I just got switched to a new pain medication though, and my doctors wanna see how my body reacts before I start mixing in caffeine and alcohol."

"I didn't know you switched meds..." I tell her

"This new one isn't as powerful." She smiles "It's starting to hurt less and less everyday."

"I think _that_..." Beck pours some wine into his cup "is worth drinking to."

"Agreed." I smile "Cheers."

" _Cheers_."


	29. Chapter 29

**_So my parent's like to do this thing where they plan mini weekend trips for themselves and only give me like 18 hours prior notice before they ship me off to some relative's house. So I may be able to update the next few days, I may not. I'm not sure yet. It all depends on how much downtime I have and how good the wifi signal is._**

* * *

 _Cat's POV_

"Robbie." I groan "The bedding is red, beige, and brown. We can't paint the room blue!"

"Why not?"

"Oh my god..." I groan "This is _exactly_ why men shouldn't be put in charge of these things."

Before Robbie starts to moving into the apartment, we decided it would probably be a good idea for Andre, Beck and him to get all the painting we want to do done first. However, in the past twenty minutes, I have proven myself _much_ more capable of knowing which colors match than he has.

"Can we paint the guest room blue?" He asks

"Eh..." I shrug "What about the bathroom?"

"I can settle for the bathroom." He smiles, leans down and kisses my cheek "But if our room isn't blue, what color _should_ it be?"

"Probably beige." I tell him "Like that one!"

I point to a paint swatch and he pulls it off the wall, handing it to me.

"What's the number?"

"7257." I tell him

"We'll probably need at least three gallons of that." He sighs, penciling it in on the piece of paper he has

So far we've decided that we'll keep the living room and kitchen the same light grey color they already are, the bedroom will be beige, and apparently, the bathroom will be blue.

"So what about the guest room?" He asks

"Probably something neutral..." I suggest "Like white, or beige, or maybe even gray."

"What about yellow, pink, or blue?"

"What?" I look at him confused "Robbie, that's not even _close_ to- oh..."

I roll my eyes and turn away from him, continuing to search the wall for another color.

"Come on." He chuckles, following me

"Robbie, we're _not_ married yet, we have _no_ money, and I'm _still_ in a wheelchair." I remind him "We are nowhere _near_ ready to even _think_ about a baby. We're too young."

"I know that, I was only joking." He smirks "And we have money!"

"No, _you_ have _some_ money." I correct him "And it's not enough to raise a child on, that's for sure."

"Again..." He sighs "I was _joking_."

"I know." I shake my head "Sorry...I've just been under so much stress the past few days with the wedding and everything that goes with planning it and the physical therapy and now the apartment..."

"Hey hey hey..." He stops me "Calm down, baby. Everything will be fine."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"I cannot fucking believe this!" I exclaim

"Cat!" My father gasps "What on earth has gotten into you?"

I was sitting at the kitchen table on my laptop, going onto the internet to work on some assignments for my online classes, when I saw the headline.

 _Verdict Reached on Cyrus Hill Case_

"This!" I shriek "This has gotten into me! Ten years! That's all he got! Ten fucking years!"

"What on earth is going on?" My mom asks, entering the kitchen "Caterina, why are you screaming?"

"Cyrus Hill only got ten years, apparently." My father tells her, taking my computer from me to read the article "Apparently that's the maximum sentence for attempted vehicular manslaughter while in toxicated in the state of Californina."

"What the hell?" I cry "I'm going to be dealing with emotional and physical pain every day for the rest of my fucking life because of him! And he can walk free in ten years! How is that fair?"

"It's not..." My dad shakes his head

"Cat, sweetheart I-" my mother begins

"Don't." I stop her "Please. I just want to be left alone. I just wanna go to my room."

"Alright."

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

"Cat?" I knock I on the door to the sunroom "Baby, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Just leave me alone."

"I'm coming in..." I sigh

Mrs. Valentine had texted me about the verdict just as I was begging to read the article about it on the Internet. As soon as I got off work, I came straight here. I knew Cat would be more than upset, I knew she'd need a shoulder to cry on. And I sure as hell knew she wouldn't cry to her parents. At least not willingly.

"No!" She pulls a blanket over her face as I enter the room "I look ugly, go away."

"Why on earth would you say that?"

"Because I've been crying!"

"Come on...let me see that beautiful face of your's..." I whisper "Cat...it's me..."

She pulls the blanket off her face just enough to reveal her eyes, and I can tell they're red and puffy. She wants lying, she's probably been sobbing, but to me she's beautiful still.

"He only got ten years..." She whispers "We get a lifetime of physical, mental and emotional hurt, and he gets ten years...maybe some community service..."

"I know." I sigh "It's not fair."

For her sake, I try my best to remain calm. I Feel like I could kill Cyrus Hill if he were to appear in front of me. He hurt me, and he hurt Cat. I could handle a broken leg. But seeing Cat suffer everyday for the past few months because of his actions...it just tears me apart inside.

"You wanna lay down with me?" She asks

"Do you want me to?"

She nods.

"Okay."

I slip off my shoes and slide under her blanket next to her. It's still hard for her to move her legs on her own, but she tries her best to position herself so her head rests on my chest. I wrap an arm around her abdomen and hold her close to me.

"I love you." I say and kiss her forehead

"I love you too..." She mutters

"Cat?" A voice whispers

We both look up to see Jade's head poking through the door from the kitchen.

"Oh." Cat says, wiping her face with the sleeve of her shirt "Hey Jade..."

Jade opens the door and steps into the sunroom, followed by Tori and Beck, who's holding two boxes of pizza.

"Oh...hey...everyone..."

"Andre is coming when he gets off work..." Tori tells us

"We read the article online. About Cyrus...and the verdict..." Beck says "We thought you could sue some friends tonight..."

"Thanks guys..." Cat smiles "That'd be nice."


	30. Chapter 30

_Cat's POV_

"There's my favorite goddog!" Jade smiles as Arlo scampers into the sunroom "Hi Arlo!"

She's sitting on the floor in the sunroom, next to Tori, I sit on my bed, and boxes of half eaten pizza and discarded crusts rest on the floor between us. We had started eating them as soon as Andre arrived, about ten minutes after Beck, Jade and Tori did.

Robbie and Andre decided we needed some music, and had gone home to get their guitars. Beck, not wanting to be left out of guy time more than likely, had ridden with them.

"Goddog?" I ask "Arlo! No!"

The dog stops dead in his tracks and turns away from the slice of pizza he had been sniffing.

"Yeah." Jade chuckles "You and Robbie are his parents, so I made myself godmother."

"No fair!" Tori pouts "I wanna be godmother too!"

"Oh my god, don't fight about it." I sigh "You can _both_ be godmother."

"Fine."

"C'mere Arlo!" I call

Arlo hops up onto the bed next to me and starts licking my cheek, more than likely so he can lick off the dried pizza sauce that's probably still there.

"Oh thank you, baby." I smile "If you two were fighting over a _dog,_ I can only imagine what will happen when one of us actually has a kid."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Jade shrugs

"We'll be crossing it sooner than you think." Tori reminds her "We're twenty-two, you're married, she's getting married..."

"That doesn't mean I'm having a baby..." Jade chuckles, taking a sip of her drink "That doesn't mean anybody is having a baby."

"Remember in high school, when we'd have sleepovers..." I sigh "And it get to be like two in the morning and we'd start talking about our futures? If only we knew then..."

"I was so _convinced_ I was gonna be a popstar..." Tori smiles, shaking her head "Now I'm a music teacher."

"I always knew I'd end up a writer..." Jade adds "I just thought I'd be a huge play write, not writing for a magazine...but I guess everybody has to start somewhere, right?"

"Right." Tori nods "Remember that time we named our nonexistent kids?"

"You started that!" Jade exclaims "Not us!"

"We played along though..." I remember "Nathaniel and Georgia. Those were my names. I'd still go with Nathaniel, I'm not sure how I feel about Georgia anymore..."

"I think I picked Chloe and Tanner..." Tori smiles "I still like those names a lot."

"Patrick was my boy's name." Jade says "I don't think I ever picked a girl's name...I dunno...I think you can brainstorm ideas all you want, but you won't actually _know_ until you're really in the situation where you actually need to pick."

"Agreed."

"We're back!" Robbie announces as he enters the sunroom, followed by Andre and Beck

Arlo jumps up and runs to his feet, tail wagging and mouth open.

"Hey buddy..." Robbie smiles, scratching the dog's ears "What have you ladies been up to?"

"Nothing." I shrug "Just talking."

"Well." Andre walks over to the table across the room and sets his guitar case down "In the car we were discussing how it has been _way_ too long since this group of friends had a jam session...so somebody start singing and Rob and I will start playing."

"What?"

"We did this all the time in college!" Robbie reminds me "Come on, you need cheering up, and it'll be fun."

"Fine." I roll my eyes "But _I'm_ not picking."

"That's fine." Andre shrugs "Uh...Jade!"

"What?"

"Pick a song?"

"No."

"Oh my god." I groan "You two just start playing a song you _both_ know, and we'll join in."

"Alright, fine." Andre sighs "Robbie, what are we playing?"

"Um..." Robbie hesitates "Oh! That song that the girls were really into, like a year ago."

"That does _nothing_ for me." Andre laughs "Come on be more specific."

"I'm trying to think of who sings it!" Robbie exclaims, trying hard to remember "Oh! Bryan Adams! Come on, they sang it for like thee weeks straight remember?"

"Yeah yeah yeah!" Andre smiles, beginning to strum his guitar "Tori, you start."

" _I got my first real six-string_..." Tori smirks " _Bought it at the five-and-dime, Played it 'til my fingers bled, It was the summer of '69.._."

I haven't sang since god knows when. It was before the accident for sure.

" _Me and some guys from school_..." Andre takes over singing now " _Had a band and we tried real hard_."

I love singing, I always have. But since the accident, I don't know...I've just felt like I _can't_ anymore. I love watching my friends good around and joke and be happy...but I doubt I'll be joining in on this jam session.

" _Jimmy quit, Jody got married, I should've known we'd never get far_..." Beck sings, and then Jade joins in with him for the next verse " _Oh, when I look back now, That summer seemed to last forever, And if I had the choice, Yeah, I'd always wanna be there...Those were the best days of my life_."

" _Ain't no use in complainin', When you've got a job to do_..." Robbie smiles towards me " _Spent my evening's down at the drive-in, And that's when I met you..."_

He walk over from the place he was standing and sits down on the edge of my bed, right next to me. Arlo follows him and hops up onto the bed as well, making himself more than comfortable in my lap.

" _Standin' on your mama's porch, You told me that you'd wait forever_..." He grins "Come on, Cat! Sing with me!"

"No." I laugh, shaking my head "Not tonight..."

" _Oh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never_..." He sings "Come on. Take it, baby."

I look around at all my friends, and my wonderful fiancé. All here with me tonight because they knew I'd be upset the Cyrus Hill trial, and that I'd need something to cheer me up. Sure, they weren't able to get the asshole in jail for the rest of his life, and they weren't able to make me walk again, but they _did_ do something.

They made me smile. Not because of anything they said, but because I was genuinely having a good time.

" _Those were the best days of my life_." I sing, grinning ear to ear

"Yeah!" Robbie cheers, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to my lips "It's so great to hear that wonderful singing voice of yours again!"

"It feels good to be using it." I admit "Thanks guys, for pulling it out of me."

* * *

 ** _Who watched Sex &Drugs&Rock&Roll tonight? I did! I thought it was fantastic! _**


	31. Chapter 31

_Cat's POV_

 _I'm laying in a hospital bed, in a room that's all to familiar to me._

 _It's my hospital room. The one I stayed in for almost two months._

 _"Cat." My dad appears in the corner of the room "You can't...you can't feel your legs because the accident paralyzed you from the waist down."_

 _"What?" I gasp_

 _"Baby...I'm so sorry..." He shakes his head_

 _"It's not..." I begin, then stop to catch my breath "...permanent."_

 _No. I've lived this once before. I can't go through this pain again, I can't._

 _"Cat, sweetheart..." My dad sighs, I can see him fighting so hard not to cry "I wish I could tell you it's not, but the doctors think it's going to be..."_

 _I close my eyes and take a deep breath, or at least as deep as I can. It hurts, my lungs burn and feel like they're on fire._

 _That's not how this went last time, last time he said there was a little bit of hope. Now he's saying there's none._

 _"So I'm never going to walk again?" I ask_

 _"No."_

 _This isn't happening, this can't be real._

 _I close my eyes to try to collect my thoughts. When I open them again, my father is gone, and Robbie is standing in his place._

 _"Robbie!" I exclaim "Oh my god, Robbie! Tell me I'm dreaming, tell me this isn't real!"_

 _"Tell you what isn't real?" He asks_

 _His voice is calm, cool. I can't detect any trace of concern at all._

 _"I'm not really paralyzed, am I?"_

 _"You are..." He nods, sitting down on the edge of my bed "That's why I'm here..."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Cat..." He sighs "I don't really know how to put this, so I'm just going to come out and say it...I can't be with you anymore."_

 _"No!" I cry "Robbie no! Please don't!"_

 _"You can't walk, Cat!" He exclaims "How am I ever going to love someone who can't walk? How can anyone?"_

 _"Don't leave!" I beg "You can't leave me!"_

 _"I'm sorry." He shakes his head "I have to..."_

My eyes snap open.

"ROBBIE!" I exclaim

"What?" He jerks awake next to me "What's wrong?"

I'm breathing heavy, tears forming in my eyes. I try my best to hold them in, but before I know it, they're streaming down my face.

Robbie sits up and turns on the lamp, then helps me sit up too.

I look around. At first, I don't recognize where I am, but then I remember.

We're in _our_ apartment. Tonight was the first night Robbie was going to sleep here, and he invited me to stay over with him. He picked me up after work, and is going to drop me off at my parent's house on his way to work tomorrow.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asks

"I was paralyzed permanently..." I whisper, closing my eyes and trying to catch my breath "The doctors said it would be impossible for me to ever walk again, then you left me."

"What?"

"You left me." I repeat, the words feel vile in my mouth "You said 'How am I ever going to love someone who can't walk? How can anyone?', then you walked out."

"Cat, baby..." He frowns "I would never _ever_ do something like that to you."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." I admit

"Caterina Valentine!" He scolds "Don't talk like that! I love you, and you know that!"

"I'm damaged goods now, Robbie..." I shake my head "I love you so _so_ much, and that's why I want you to _really_ think for a second, okay? If you don't want to marry me, I won't hold it against you."

"How can you _talk_ like that?" He gasps "Don't you think that if I didn't want to be with you anymore, I would've figured it out before I proposed? Or before we got a dog? Or before we bought an apartment together?"

"Robbie..." I sigh "That crash might've cost me everything..."

"Well, there's one thing it didn't cost you."

"What?" I ask

"Me." He says "Cat, I _love_ you more than I can figure out how to express in words. When you were laying in that hospital bed and there was talk that you might not pull through? That was the scariest fucking moment of my entire life. I didn't know how I was gonna go on living without you by my side. Please, never _ever_ think for one second that I'll ever stop loving you because you're a little different on the outside than you used to be. Loving you, and being loved my you, that's the greatest honor I can think of."

"Oh Robbie." I whisper "I'm so sorry."

"You're not having second thoughts?" He asks "Are you?"

"No!" I exclaim "Of course not! It's just...these dreams, they fuck with my head. I know that's a _terrible_ excuse, but it's the only thing I can think of that can justify why I act like this sometimes. I love you so much, baby. And I know you love me too, you always make sure I know that, and that makes me love you even more."

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?"

I nod.

"Okay." He smiles and helps me lay back down again

"Thanks." I smile

"You're welcome." He leans down and kisses my forehead, and then my lips "Goodnight, beautiful. I love you."

"I love you too." I tell him "Thanks for calming me down."

"Whenever you need me to, baby." He assures me "Whenever you need me to."


	32. Chapter 32

_Robbie's POV_

"Hello, beautiful." I smile from behind the lens of my camcorder

"Stop sucking up." Cat chuckles, rolling her eyes

She's sitting in her wheelchair, in the kitchen at her parent's house.

In physical therapy, apparently, she's been working on walking along with the support of two other people. A few weeks ago, I saw her attempt to, along with the help of Tori and Jade. Then, however, she was only able to take maybe a step or two. Now the hope is for her to make it all the way from the kitchen, down the hall, to the front door. It's a straight shot, only about fifteen or twenty feet, but we'll see how it goes.

"Are you ready to give this a try, sweetheart?" Her mother asks her

"I think so..." She nods "Help me up?"

"Of course."

Each of her parents position themselves on either side of her chair. She wraps her arms around each of their shoulders and slowly, they help her to her feet.

"Look Robbie." She smiles "I'm standing."

"I see that." I grin "Good job, baby."

"You ready to start goin'?" Her dad asks

"Yeah." She nods "Yeah let's go."

I aim the camcorder down towards her feet. I can see it in her face that she's focusing hard really _really_ trying her hardest to make this happen. Slowly, her left foot moves forward, and a grin spreads across her face.

"I know I've done this in therapy before..." She admits "But it feels so good to do it on my own."

"Keep going!" I encourage her

She smiles and looks down, taking another step, and then another quickly following that one. She stops for a second, trying to regain her balance as she sways a bit towards her dad. He catches her, thankfully, and helps her back upright.

"Too fast, I guess." She chuckles

That's my girl, always staying positive.

"How are you doing?" Her mom asks

"I'm okay." She nods "I'm okay."

"Need to stop and rest yet?"

"No." She shakes her head "No, I'm gonna keep going."

Every step she takes is another small victory, and gets her that much closer to walking on her own again.

"You're doing _fantastic_ , Cat." I smile "Really."

"Thank you..."

After about twelve steps, it's not hard to tell she's growing fatigued. Her steps become smaller, and slower, and she's starting to lean heavily against her mom.

"Maybe we should take a little rest..." Her dad suggests

"No..." Cat protests "No, I can do this."

"There's no shame in taking a little break..." He assures her

"No there's not." Her mom agrees "Better to take a little break now than to overwork yourself and get hurt."

"Alright...fine..." Cat sighs

She leans into her dad and he holds her upright until her mom can go back for the chair and bring it to her so she can sit for a bit.

When she sits down again, she looks...almost defeated. I pause the recording on my camera, I know if I get any footage of her looking like that, she'll kill me. I walk over and kneel in front of her wheelchair.

"Hey." She smirks

"Hi." I take her hand and kiss it "You're doing great."

"I only made it like six feet..." She sighs

"So?" I ask "That's six feet father than you made it a few weeks ago."

"I guess that's true." She shrugs "I wanna keep going."

"Give yourself a few minutes to recharge..." I tell her

"No." She shakes her head "Mom, Dad, help me up, please."

"Cat are you su-"

"Yes! Please, just help me up."

"Alright..."

I turn and walk back to the place by the front door where I had been previously standing, turning my camera on as I do so, as Cat's parents help her stand back up.

"Alright..." I start recording again "Take two!"

"Please." Cat scoffs "This is take 1.5."

"Whatever you say."

Cat concentrates hard on moving her feet again. I've noticed that it's hard for her to take the first step, but once she gets going, she's usually fine.

She takes one step...and then two...and then three and keeps going until she's basically only two feet away from me.

"Cat!" I cheer "Come on, you're almost there!"

"I know!" She grins

I move the camera from her feet to her face, not wanting to miss the priceless grin plastered across her face.

She keeps taking steps towards me until she's about two inches away from me, and her face is taking up the entire frame of the camera.

"Hi." She giggles "I walked here from the kitchen."

"Congratulations." I smile "I'm so proud of you!"

"So are we." Her dad nods

"Agreed." Her mom adds

I shut the camera off and set it down, opening my arms for her to fall into. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I wrap mine around her waist. She's leaning against me, putting all her weight on me. She doesn't weight that much, so I don't really mind, not that I would anyways. This is the first time I've gotten to hold her like this in a _very_ long time.

"I'm so proud of you!" I repeat

I pick her up and spin her around in circles, something I also haven't done for a long time.

I set her down again, and after I'm sure she's regained her balance, I press a kiss to her lips.

"Thanks for stickin' around." She smiles when we break away

"How could I not?" I smirk


	33. Chapter 33

_Cat's POV_

"Guys." I sigh "You don't have to come over _every_ Friday. I'm sure there's much better things you could be doing."

"Cat." Jade rolls her eyes "Don't even with us right now. If we didn't want to come over, then we wouldn't."

"Yeah." Tori agrees "Besides, sometimes it's nice to get away from the men we live with."

"I wouldn't mind being with Robbie all the time." I shrug

"That's because you don't live with him yet." Jade chuckles "Just wait until you move in together. You'll see why girl's night can be a good thing."

"Are you trying to scare me out of marrying him?" I ask

"No!" Tori exclaims "Not at all! It's just..."

"Some things you just _can't_ talk about with guys." Jade finishes for her "Anyway, moving on from that subject, what should we get for dinner?"

"Anything but pizza." I sigh

"What's wrong with pizza?"

"We always have pizza." I laugh "I'm just not in the mood for it tonight."

"Well what _are_ you in the mood for?"

"Chinese food." I tell them "Orange chicken and fried rice."

"Damn, you must've had that answer ready to go for a while." Tori laughs

"I've just been craving it _all_ day." I explain

"And you're _sure_ you're not pregnant?" Jade asks me

"Yes!" I shriek "Oh my god you two!"

"I'm just checking!"

"I haven't had sex since _long_ before the accident, there's no fucking way." I tell them "If anybody here is pregnant, it's Jade!"

"Why me!?"

"You're married." Tori reminds her "You're the most likely."

"Tori is just as sexually active as I am!"

"You don't know that!"

"I cannot _believe_ we are arguing about this..." I sigh "Guys! I'm _hungry_! Let's go! Please!"

* * *

When we had returned back to my parent's house after dinner, we never even made it back into the house. It's such a nice night, and it was still early enough that there was daylight, so we decided to sit out on the front lawn.

"You haven't booked your honeymoon yet?" Jade asks, astonished "Cat! The wedding is in less than three months."

"It gets worse." I tell her "We haven't even decided where we're _going_ yet."

"Oh my god!" Tori falls backwards onto her back "Girl! Get on that! Everything is gonna be booked!"

"Like I don't know that." I roll my eyes

"Please tell me you at least have some ideas."

"We've barely talked about it." I admit "I mean, everything, and I mean _everything_ since the engagement has been about physical therapy, or the dog, or the apartment, or what color should _this_ be or what color should _that_ be. We've talked about the stereotypical ones, you know? Like Hawaii or Disney World..."

"Disney World is perfect for the two of you." Tori laughs

"Yeah except, theme parks and wheelchairs don't mix that well." I remind them "Theme parks and people who _just_ learned how to walk again _also_ don't mix that well."

"They have handicap passes and compatibilities. There's no way they don't." Jade tells me "Isn't it supposed to be 'the happiest place on earth'?"

"Something like that." I chuckle

"What about Paris?" Tori asks

"What about it?"

"Have you talked about _that_?"

"Sort of." I shrugs "I dunno. It's _so_ expensive. And most of the stuff to do there requires a lot of walking I'm not even sure if I'll be strong enough to do that that point..."

"You can always delay the honeymoon a few months." Jade suggests "Lots of people do that."

"Yeah, but what's the fun in that?" I ask

A car whizzes down the street that runs perpendicular to mine, barely stopping at the stop sign at the corner my house sits on. As it continues down the street, some kids playing a little further down accidentally kick their soccer ball into the road.

I feel my breathing increase as I watch one of the little boys run to retrieve it. Thankfully, the car stops just short of him. The driver slams on the breaks and lays on his horn.

 _A horn blares. Tires screech. Metal hits metal and everything goes black._

 _"Cat!" Someone yells_

 _My eyes sting because of all the thick, black smoke that's whirling around me._

 _My head is throbbing. I press my hands to my temples in an attempt to make it stop, but I can't. When I pull my hand away, a red, sticky liquid covers them._

 _My blood._

 _Or maybe someone else's. Who knows?_

 _"Cat!" Someone yells again "Cat? Can you hear me?"_

"Cat!" Jade yells "Are you there?"

"The...the...the...the ca..." I stutter, pointing down the road to the car

"The what?" She turns to look

"The car horn." Tori tells her "Cat, did it trigger one of your flashbacks?"

I nod.

"Maybe we should go inside." Tori suggests

"Yeah that's a good idea." Jade agrees "Come on Cat."

They both help me to my feet as I desperately try to catch my breath. I try to tell them that if they help me, I'll be able to walk inside. But I don't have the energy, or the breath. So they load me into my wheelchair, and Tori pushes me up the homemade ramp that my father built a few months ago when I first came home.

Arlo greets us at the door, and I'm more than happy to let him jump up into my lap and smother me with kisses. I hug him tight, he provides a small sense of comfort.

"Hi girls." My mom enters the kitchen from the living room "How was...is everything okay?"

"Um...the kids down the street had a close call with a Volvo..." Tori explains "It kind of...uh..."

"Flashback." I shake my head

"Oh." She kneels down next to me "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I will be..." I whisper "I just...I wanna go to the sunroom."

"Okay."

Tori pushes me straight forward, towards the sunroom as Jade walks a bit faster to open the door for us. Arlo hops off my lap the second we enter the room and runs straight to his doggie bed in the corner.

"Help me up, please." I beg my two friends

"Sure." They nod

Once they help me stand up, they help me make my way over to my bed, very slowly I might add.

When I sit down, I fall backwards onto the bed, a sigh of relief escaping my mouth as I do so. Both of them join me, Tori laying next to me on my left, Jade on my right.

"I'm sorry." I whisper

"No, don't be." Jade takes my hand in hers

"Yeah." Tori agrees, taking my other "We told you we'd be here for you, right?"

"Right."


	34. Chapter 34

_Robbie's POV_

Around nine-thirty at night, I enter the apartment and toss my keys into the dish sitting on the table right inside the door.

I had been at work until five tonight, then I headed to the Valentine's to visit Cat. I've only been away from her about twenty minutes, and I miss her terribly already. I wish I could bring her home with me, to our apartment. But that's not practical yet.

She still needs too much help moving around, she wouldn't be able to be on her own during the day. I'd be one hundred percent open to bringing her home with me at night, having her sleep here, then taking her back to her parent's house on my way to work in the morning. But the process of moving her from place to place exhausts her so much...

She gets closer and closer to walking on her own with each day that passes. I'm so proud of her for working so hard. I honestly didn't expect her to come so far so fast.

I set my briefcase down on the table, pulling out my laptop and plugging it in to charge so it has a full battery in the morning. Then, I go into the master bedroom to change out of my work clothes, I'll shower in the morning.

When I'm fully changed, I lay down on the bed, grabbing my phone from the place where I had thrown it, and FaceTime Cat. She answers in about ten seconds.

"Hey." She greets me, smiling "Miss me already?"

"I missed you the second I walked out the door." I tell her

"You're such a sap." She rolls her eyes

"Oh, so do you not miss me at all?" I tease her

"Of course I miss you." She chuckles "How could I not?"

From the background, I can tell that she's on her bed in the sunroom, exactly where I left her. Except she's wearing a different shirt, probably different pants too.

"You changed clothes." I say

"So did you. It's called pajamas, babe." She smirks "And yes, before you ask, I'm capable of dressing myself. As long as I don't have to zip anything up or pull on too tight of pants."

"Is that why you're wearing skirts all the time?"

"That's part of it." She shrugs "And I just like to wear skirts."

"Well." I sigh "You look good in anything, so I guess it really doesn't matter."

"Thanks?" She laughs "I think?"

"You're welcome." I smile "Hey, Cat?"

"What's up?"

"Is that my old t-shirt?"

She looks down at her shirt. It's grey and reads 'Hollywood Arts Boys Track and Field' across it in faded navy blue lettering.

"Yeah." She chuckles "I guess so."

"You're stealing my clothes now?"

"I've been stealing your clothes for almost four and a half years now, Robbie." She smirks "You're just now noticing."

I noticed about a week or so after we started dating when my hoodies started disappearing. But I'll never tell her that.

"Right." I wink "So, did you call that florist today?"

"Yes sir, I did."

"And what did they say?"

"Bouquets of white and light pink titanic roses for me and the girls, with matching light pink boutonnieres for you and the boys." She tells me "And matching centerpieces for the reception."

Leave it to Cat to pick roses. Then again, I'm a guy. What do I know? I'm just happy to be marrying my best friend.

"Sounds perfect." I smile "We're almost nine weeks away."

"I know." She smiles "I'm excited."

"Me too." I tell her "Are you nervous at all?"

"To marry you? Of course not." She flips the camera on her phone around to show her legs that are stretched out in front of her on her bed "That these guys won't cooperate? I'm literally petrified."

"So what if they don't cooperate?" I scoff "We're going to have the _perfec_ _t_ wedding."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay." She yawns

"Tired?" I chuckle

"No!" She exclaims "Okay...maybe a lil'..."

"I'll let you get to bed then." I tell her "Goodnight beautiful, I love you."

"I love you too." She smiles "Goodnight."

We hang up and I plug my phone into the charger on the bedside table, then reach to grab the remote and turn on the TV. I flip to the news station so I can see the weather for the next day, then watch whatever late night talk show comes on next. I'll more than likely fall asleep before it's over though. And I'll fall asleep wishing my beautiful fiancée was laying in bed next to me.

* * *

"I'm really happy your parents let you stay here with me tonight." I tell Cat as we lay in bed together that Friday night, watching a movie

"You sound like a teenager." She laughs "We're both adults, we're engaged, they couldn't have stopped us even if they wanted to."

"Yeah I know." I sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of her face as she cuddles up to me "You're just so fragile right now, I'd understand if they'd want to be protecting you constantly. I know I do."

"You want what?"

"To protect you." I repeat "I almost lost you once, I can't afford to let that happen again."

"That's sweet." She smirks, kissing my lips

I kiss her back, probably with a little more passion than she was expecting, because I can tell she's surprised when my tongue enters her mouth.

What can I say? I'm a guy.

However, much to _my_ surprise, she kisses me back with just as much passion maybe more. Suddenly, something feels wrong, and I pull away.

"Why'd you stop?" She asks "That was the most we've done in _months_."

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you..." I admit "I mean, we were just talking about how you're so fragile and I want to protect you. And I here I am shoving my tongue in your mouth!"

"Robbie..." She shakes her head "If I feel uncomfortable with something, I'll stop you. I missed this _just_ as much as you did."

"I doubt that." I mutter

"What?"

"Nothing." I say "I just...I feel like I'll be paranoid that I'll hurt you the entire time."

"You won't." She promises "Just because my legs aren't working right doesn't mean that we can't...you know."

"It's cute that you're so modest about it."

"Just cute?" She smirks "Not hot?"

"Okay, maybe it's a little hot." I admit

In reality, it's the fact that she's so comfortable with doing all of this that's turning me on.

"Robbie, come on..." She runs her hand down my chest "It's been months..."

"You promise that if _anything_ starts to hurt, you'll tell me?" I ask "Because I don't want to set your recovery back because I couldn't keep it to myself."

"I promise."

"You're sure?"

"You are _killing_ the mood right now, Shapiro."

"Hey." I kiss her softly on the lips, then start moving my way down her neck "Nine weeks from now, you'll be a Shapiro too."

"I can't wait." She smiles as she slowly starts to remove her shirt "You have condoms right?"

"Of course."

"Good." She smirks "Because it really has been _too_ long."


	35. Chapter 35

_Cat's POV_

"You did what?" Tori gasps "No way."

"We _are_ engaged." I remind her "And shut up, you do it too."

"I'm not half paralyzed!" She exclaims "Wasn't it difficult?"

"Not really." I shrug "I mean, if you want all the details I'd be more than happy to-"

"No no." She shakes her head "That's okay. I just...how are you? Like emotionally? That was the first time you've...since the accident, right?"

"Yeah it was." I nod "And I'm good. You know...he was really sweet, and really gentle. He was constantly asking if I was okay, making sure he wasn't hurting me. He was _so_ concerned and that was...I dunno...comforting. The whole thing was really comforting."

"So you don't regret it?" She asks

"No!" I laugh "Jeez, you'd think it was my first time or something."

"Well it kinda was..." She shrugs "Your first time since the accident, it's a big deal."

"Whatever." I roll my eyes "I'm sick of talking about me and how I'm doing. Let's talk about you. How's the job hunt coming?"

Tori had majored in secondary education in college and double minored in music and English. It's still considered summer right now, so she isn't working yet, like Jade, Robbie, Beck and Andre are. Which I guess is a plus, because most of the time if I get bored, she's able to come keep me company.

"Okay." She shrugs "I interviewed for the open choir director position at Northridge High a few days ago."

"Tori!" My eyes go wide "That's great! I didn't even know you had an interview set up!"

"I didn't want to say anything, juts in case I don't get it." She admits "I mean, I'm fresh out of college! I'll only be five years older than some of my students!"

"You've gotta start somewhere." I remind her

"I know." She sighs "Just, the rest of our friends had it so easy, you know? Robbie and Jade found work _right_ away. Andre only had to wait about a month, Beck is booking small little acting jobs left and right, and I'm stuck."

"In your defense, there's not really much demand for teachers during the summer." I chuckle "And hey, look at me. I don't even have a degree!"

"You have a legitimate reason not to though! And aren't you like a month away from finishing your's up anyway?"

"Who says I'll be 'fit to work' when the time comes though?" I raise an eyebrow at her "And who will want to hire a cripple anyways?"

"You're not a cripple, Cat." She sighs "You're working _so_ hard in physical therapy too, and it's showing. Besides, even if you _were_ a cripple, there's laws that protect you from job discrimination, or something like that."

"That won't stop anybody." I sigh "I probably won't even be able to start looking until _after_ the wedding anyways. I wish I could be making money _now_ but..."

"You're not in _any_ condition to be working a nine to five right now."

"I just feel so awful that Robbie is paying for the apartment by himself." I admit "I mean, it's _not_ cheap. And I know he has a good job and everything, but everything is falling on him right now."

"cat." Tori smirks, shifting her position on the couch next to me, presumably to get more comfortable "That boy absolutely _adores_ you, you know that. You didn't see him for those few weeks when you were in a coma, but _I_ did. He was miserable, I've never seen him like that before. He would d anything for you, believe me. He doesn't care about the money, he just wants to take care of you, and protect you. You're his everything."

"I know, and I feel the same way about him...I just wish that there was someway I could pay him back for everything he's doing for me."

"You can." She smiles

"How?"

"Well for starters, you're marrying him." She chuckles "I've never seen him smile as much as he did the day we went with him to pick out the ring. You also take all the love he gives you, and give it right back to him. Seeing you two together, something about it is just right. And one day, you'll probably have a baby together, and he'll love you even more for that..."

"This is ridiculous." I laugh "My best friend shouldn't have to convince me that it's okay to marry the man I love."

"You've been through a lot in the past few months." She rests a hand on my shoulder "We all know that. It's okay."

"Can you walk me to the kitchen?" I ask

"What?"

"You and me." I clarify "Let's walk to the kitchen."

"Do you think you'll be able to make it without a second person to lean on for support?" She looks surprised

"I have no idea." I admit "But I've gotta try, Tori. I have about two months to get myself walking on my own."

"Cat are you-"

"Tori!" I exclaim "Please just help me up!"

"I don't want you to get hurt!"

"My mom is _right_ down the hall, if we need her, we can call her." I say "Please!"

"Alright." Tori sighs, getting to her feet

She helps me up and I wrap one of my arms around her waist and grab her left hand with her right. She wraps her free arm around my shoulders, and we start towards the kitchen.

"Just let me know if you need to rest, okay?" She tells me

"I will." I nod "Now come on. I have a wedding in two months I need to get myself walking for."


	36. Chapter 36

_Robbie's POV_

"Robbie!" John, my coworker who occupies the cubicle next to me, exclaims as he enters our office "Long time, no see!"

He had been on vacation for a week. Where, I'm not exactly sure. But judging by the look of his painfully obvious sunglasses tan, I'm guessing it was somewhere tropical.

"Hey John." I chuckle as he enters his cubicle "How was your vacation?"

"Incredibly relaxing!" He tells me "But, I guess I had to return to the nine to five grind at some point."

"Because living in LA is _so_ painful." I roll my eyes

"Exactly! Everything is super expensive! So you've gotta work hard to earn the rent money, therefor resulting in shorter vacations!"

"I was being sarcastic." I tell him

"I know you were." He laughs "So, what's new with you? How's the fiancée?"

"Cat? She's great." I smile "She's started walking with just one person for support now."

"That definitely wasn't happening when I left!"

"Yeah she started doing it a couple days ago." I tell him "It's another step in the right direction."

While I'm proud of Cat for making yet another huge step, I'm scared she could've really hurt herself. Usually, she'll try something like that in physical therapy when there's therapists and nurses around, but not this time, all she had was Tori.

"Getting excited for that wedding of yours?" John asks me

"I can't wait." I admit "I just love her so much, you know? I wanna make it official and binding and everything."

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to tie myself down like that." He sighs, turning to his computer

"When you find the right person..." I smirk "...you'll want to. Believe me."

I know I've found the right one.

* * *

"October fourth." Cat tells someone on the phone as I enter the kitchen at her parents house "Yes, that's right."

She's sitting at the kitchen table, phone pressed to her ear, with a notepad in front of her. She smiles up at me as I enter, waving to me with pen in hand.

"Hey." I whisper "Whatcha up to?"

She's listening intently to whoever is on the other line, but mouths the word 'caterer' to me.

"Ah." I nod, turning away so I don't disturb the conversation "Arlo? C'mere boy!"

I hear rustling coming from the living room and about two seconds later, Arlo appears in the kitchen.

"Hey bud!" I smile, sitting down on the ground to play with him "Did ya miss me? Hm? Did ya?"

I scratch him behind his ears and he wags his tail, retuning the affection by licking my face.

"Exactly." Cat tells the person on the other line "About 120, we're hoping."

She looks over at us and kind of chuckles to herself. She leans down and grabs one of Arlo's rope toys from where it rests next to her feet and tosses it towards me.

"Wanna play?" I ask the dog, dangling the toy in front of his face "Come on, let's play!"

Arlo grabs the toy in his jaws, gripping it tightly as I try to pull it away from him. He growls, and I imitate the noise, trying to tease him.

"Grrr!" I laugh "That's right. Who's a big, strong, doggie?"

"Robbie!" Cat shushes me

"Sorry." I sigh, sitting back down "Sorry Arlo, Mommy's on the phone. We've gotta play quietly."

"Robbie?" Cat asks "Can we meet with the catering company on Saturday around oneish to set up a menu?"

"Sure."

"Yes that's fine." Cat tells the person on the other end "Yeah, see you then...okay...yeah...okay buh-bye!"

"Get everything worked out?" I ask her

"Hopefully." She sighs "How was work today?"

"Same as usual." I shrug

"Okay." We both say in unison, causing us both to laugh

"Wanna take Arlo out in the yard?" She asks me "He hasn't been out for a while."

"Sure." I smile, standing up to get the leash "You wanna come too?"

"That's sorta why I brought it up to begin with." She laughs

"You wanna walk? Or should I carry you?" I ask, bending down and clipping Arlo's leash onto his collar

"Can I walk?"

"Sure." I extend my free hand, that isn't being used to hold the leash, out to her

I help her to her feet, then move quickly to catch her as she falls, leaning all of her weight on me. She wraps one arm around my waist, and the other around my shoulders and we starts towards the door to the backyard.

It takes us between five and ten minutes to reach the sliding glass door in her living room, I open it and Arlo immediately tries to run out, pulling me off balance and causing me to stumble. Cat gasps and prepares herself for impact, but there's no need. We're fine.

"You're okay." I assure her as we step out onto the deck

"I know." She sighs "I know."

We walk across the deck, and I end up carrying her down the steps into the yard, since stairs are still hard for her. I help her sit down in the grass then sit down next to her, Arlo sniffing the ground around us.

"Hey bub." Cat smiles, petting the dogs head "Who's a good boy?"

"Arlo is!" I exclaim

The dog perks up and licks Cat's face, then runs away. Presumably to do his business.

"So the caterer is the last thing we needed to get set right?" I ask "Everything else is taken care of?"

"More or less." She shrugs, leaning her head against my shoulder "The whole wedding planning thing is more stressful than I thought. I just want everything to be perfect, you know?"

"Don't worry," I smile, kissing her temple "we get to marry each other. That in itself is perfect enough."

"I guess you're right." She smirks "I love you, Robbie."

"I love you too, baby."


	37. Chapter 37

_Cat's POV_

"Cat?" My mother calls "Where are you?"

"Living room!" I respond "Exactly where you left me about an hour ago!"

It's not like I can move anywhere without her help...

"Right!" She sighs entering the room, purse slung over her shoulder "I've just been so busy today, I guess I forgot."

"Okay." I laugh "What's up?"

"I need to run to the bank and deposit a check real fast." She explains "Do you want to come with? Or will you be okay by yourself?"

"Well, how long will you be gone?" I ask

I'm going to avoid getting in a car at all costs.

"Ten minutes." She says "Fifteen at the most."

"I'll be okay by myself for fifteen minutes." I assure her "I don't plan on moving between now and then."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure, Mom." I nod "I'll be okay."

"Alright. Well then I'm going to get going as fast as possible then." She tells me, exiting the room "Be back soon! I love you!"

"Love you too!" I call back to her

I hear the front door close and then I'm really alone, which in itself is a simple thing. But I don't know if I've been alone _once_ since the accident. Even in the hospital, someone was always sleeping on the couch, or if they weren't, the burses were available at the push of a button. And once I came home, everyone started watching me like hawks.

"Just you and me, huh Buddy?" I say to Arlo

He dog turns his head to look at me, then gets up and walks over to the sliding glass door, sitting in front of it.

"You see somethin' out there?" I ask

He begins to whimper and paw at the door.

"What's the matter, bud?"

I'm not entirely sure he's been out at all today, so he probably _really_ needs to go.

"Arlo buddy, I'm sorry. I can't let you out right now." I apologize "Just wait like ten minutes until my mom gets back, okay?"

He continues to whimper and scratch at the door, and I swear he turns and makes direct eye contact with me before he starts to howl.

"Arlo, baby...I can't..." I groan

He continues to howl, stopping every once and a while to look at me as if to say 'I know you can see me, please help me'.

"Alright." I sigh "Fine."

I have no idea how I'm going to go about doing this, but I need to try and help the poor thing before he loses it and ruins the carpet.

I ease myself off the couch gently and onto the floor, then turn myself around and use the couch for support to stand up.

"I'm doing this because I love you, Arlo." I tell the dog

I edge along the furniture like a toddler, using it for support. My legs are wobbly and shaking, but I keep moving. Honestly, at this rate, my mom might be home before I even reach the door.

I make it to the wall, and there's not much to grip onto, but I still somehow manage to support myself, although I need to move a little slower now. Arlo continues to whimper and howl.

"Oh my goodness!" I sigh "I'm _coming_."

I only have a few inches left until I can reach the handle. At that point, I'll just grab onto it and pull myself over.

I reach my hand out and grab the handle tightly, then go to move my feet.

"Almost there." I whisper as I move my right foot

But I catch it on the rug in front of the door and feel myself start to fall.

* * *

 _Robbie's POV_

I rush through the automatic doors to the ER, heading straight for the reception desk.

"Caterina Valentine." I say, breathless to the nurse sitting there

"Down that hallway." She points "Room four. It's on the left."

"Thank you!"

I head down the hallway and enter Cat's room.

"What were you thinking?" I exclaim

"Well hello to you too." She scoffs

"Cat!"

"Robbie!"

"I'll be in the hallway..." Her mother tells us, slipping out of the room

"What happened?" I sigh, sitting down on the bed

"My mom went to the bank to cash a check real fast and left me by myself." Cat explains "Arlo needed to go out really bad and I couldn't stand hearing him sound so uncomfortable. So I tried to get up and let him out. I almost made it, but I tripped on the rug by the door and hit my head on the glass on the way down."

"I can't believe this." I shake my head "Do you have any idea how _scared_ I was when your mom called me and told me you were in the hospital? Cat, I thought I might've lost you again!"

"Robbie, I'm sorry..."

"I'm just happy you're okay..." I admit "Well, as close to okay as you can get, I guess."

"It's just a few stitches." She assures me, brushing her hair out of the way so I can see.

"How many?" I ask

"Five." She frowns "They're gonna release me soon, but I'm gonna have such a pretty scar on my face for the wedding."

"It looks like a majority of them are hidden in your eyebrow." I tell her "The scare should be hidden pretty well. And even if it's not, it won't matter. You'll still be beautiful."

"Thanks..." She smirks

"Does your head hurt at all?"

"It kills."

"I bet." I sigh "I'll tell you what. How about when I get off work tonight, I'll stop at Inside Out Burger and get you a strawberry milkshake."

"That sounds great." She smiles "Wait, you have to go back to work?"

"I'm on my lunch break right now." I tell her "I gotta go back."

"Aw."

"I'm sorry." I lean down and kiss her forehead, mindful of the stitches "I love you, okay? I'm glad you're okay too."

"I love you too." She tells me "Sorry for scaring you."

"It's alright Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Don't try something like that again until you're _really_ ready okay?" I say "I can't stand to see you get hurt again. Promise?"

"Promise."


	38. Chapter 38

_Cat's POV_

"Looks like the door won this battle." Jade laughs, leaning down to look at my forehead "Better luck next time, kid."

"Yeah I know, I have an ugly scar and bruise." I sigh, pushing my chair along "Let's not talk about it."

"Sorry." Jade shakes her head "I just hadn't seen it yet."

"If it makes you feel any better..." Tori adds "...the pictures make it look way worse than it actually is."

"Eh." I shrug

We're at the mall, going in for what I can only assume will be the first of many fittings for our dresses. I decided to bring my chair, since I'm probably not strong enough to walk for that long of time, even if I did have the two of them supporting me.

"So do you think your dress is going to fit?" Tori asks me

"I have no idea." I admit "I've lost weight, then gained it back, then lost it again, then probably gained a little bit of it back. So who knows?"

We enter the bridal store and I roll up to the desk, smiling at the woman behind it as I do so.

"Hi!" She greets me

"Hi." I smile "We're here for our dress fittings."

"Name?"

"Cat Valentine." I say "Or...yeah I think it's under Cat Valentine."

"Yeah, you're right here." She flips through a few pieces of paper on the desk "Come on, follow me."

She gestures for us to follow her back towards the fitting rooms. Jade and Tori take a seat in the chairs to wait, and I ark my chair next to them while the woman goes to get our dresses. She returns with three garment bags.

"A bride and two bridesmaids, right?" She clarifies

"Yeah." I nod "The bridesmaids dresses should be pink."

She checks inside one of the less bulky bags.

"Yup." She smiles "This is it. The bride's dress is a Melissa Sweet, correct."

"Yeah that's right."

"Fantastic." She hands garment bags to Tori and Jade "Are you going to need help getting into your dress?"

"They can help me." I nod towards my friends "Thank you, though."

"Alright." She grins "Just come on out when you're done, and we'll see what alterations need to be made."

"Sounds good."

"I cannot _believe_ I'm going to wear this dress willingly." Jade sighs, peaking inside her garment bag before hanging it up on a hook outside the dressing room

"They're not _that_ bad." Tori laughs

"No." I agree "They're really not. I could've put you in _way_ worse."

"I know. I know."

"Let's be real, Jade." Tori admits "If Cat had asked us to wear unicorn costumes, you would've done it."

"Because you looooove me." I laugh

"Yeah I know." Jade chuckles "But it's _still_ pink."

"And?"

"You know how I feel about pink."

"But you looooove me." I repeat

"Yeah." She takes my dress from me and hangs it up inside the dressing room "You're right, I do."

* * *

"So..." Robbie says, taking a seat next to me in the grass "How did your dress fitting go today?"

He hands me a glass of lemonade as we watch Arlo run around the yard.

"Thanks." I take the glass from him and kiss his cheek "And better than expected I guess. One of them actually fit!"

"I'm guessing it _wasn't_ yours?" He chuckles

"No." I smile, shaking my head "It was Tori's. Jade's was still too big. And mine was too big _and_ too long."

"Well you _are_ tiny."

"Thanks, I think." I laugh "We have to go back in two weeks."

"Hopefully they all fit right the next time around."

"Hopefully." I agree

At that point, the wedding will be only five weeks away. And while that's more than enough time to fix anything that needs to be fixed, it's still cutting it a little close.

"What about the tuxes?" I ask him "Have you gone and ordered those?"

"Yup!" He nods "Wanna see?"

"Of course I wanna see! I have to approve, don't I?"

"Yeah." He takes his phone out of his pocket and starts scrolling through his camera roll "Here you go."

He hands me a picture of a mannequin, dressed in a gray suit, with a white shirt, a pink vest, and a pink bow tie.

"You didn't try them on?" I ask, handing the phone back

"No, we just got measured." He tells me "They still need to order the actual tuxes for us."

"Ah." I nod "Are you renting? Or are you going to actually buy them?"

"I think Beck and Andre are going to rent theirs." He explains "I mean, they'll never wear them again, so I guess that makes sense. I Haven't decided if I'm going to keep mine yet."

"You don't have to." I tell him

"But you're keeping your dress."

"Because it will have sentimental value to me."

"Maybe my tux will have sentimental value to me, too!"

"Okay, RObbie." I laugh, taking a sip of my lemonade "Whatever you wanna do."

"Wait, okay." He pulls the picture back out again "I have a question."

"Yes, sir."

"We're gonna buy our own shoes." He tells me "The store is asking too much money for them, and who wants to wear someone's rented shoes?"

"You do that every time we go bowling." I remind him

"And it's gross." He adds "Anyway, what color do you think would look okay with this?"

"For shoes?" I clarify

"Yeah."

"Well..." I sigh "Not brown, that's for sure. Or white. I think black would be best..."

"Black?"

"Yeah." I nod "Either dress shoes, or converse."

"You'd let us wear converse?" He seems surprised

"Sure." I shrug "If they're _nice_ converse. Not the same beat up pair you've been wearing since high school."

"Oh."

"Oh." I copy his tone

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Maybe I am." I tease "What are you gonna do about it?"

"This." He smirks

He lunges forwards and knocks me onto my back, playfully of course, not aggressively. I squeal with laughter as he leans down and kisses me softly on the lips.

"Robbie!" I laugh

"What?"

"Nothing." I shake my head and lean up, kissing _him_ this time


	39. Chapter 39

_Cat's POV_

"Arlo!" I scold "Sit still please!"

The dog wriggles out of my grasp once again and takes off running into the next room, leaving me sitting on the floor, extremely frustrated with him.

I hear the front door open and Arlo starts to bark. I'm not concerned, because I know it's Robbie

"Arlo!" I call "Get back here!"

"Whatever you're trying to do to him..." Robbie sighs, entering the living room, Arlo in his arms "I don't think he likes it."

"I'm just trying to see if his bowtie fits!" I exclaim, holding it up for him to see

"You're joking, right?"

"No!" I laugh "If he's gonna be in the wedding, he's gotta look good!"

"Did you buy him a doggie sized tux too?" He raises an eyebrow at me

"No!" I insist "They were sold out..."

"Cat." He chuckles, shaking his head

"What?"

"Nothing."

I've mentioned before that Robbie and I don't know very many kids, or any at all for that matter, so finding a flower girl and ring barer for the wedding was difficult. We decided we wouldn't have a flower girl, but Arlo is going to be our ring barer.

"Will you please just hold him still for me?" I ask

"I think he's a little annoyed right now." Robbie tells me "Let's wait a while and let him forget about it, then we can try again."

"Alright" I sigh

"Do you wanna stay on the floor?" He asks me "Or do you want me to help you get somewhere?"

"Can you help me to the sunroom?"

"Of course." He smiles "Come on."

He helps me to my feet, then helps me hobble my way to the sunroom, Arlo at our heels. When we arrive, I sit down on the bed, and he leans against the table on the adjacent wall.

"It seems like there's less stuff in here now than the last time I was in here." He observes, looking around the room.

"Probably because I've started packing..." I shrug, nodding towards the boxes under the table

There's maybe three or four of them, not much, but a start.

"Yeah?" He smiles "Do you think you're gonna move in soon?"

"Well we said I should be moved in before the wedding right?" I clarify "That gives us about a month."

"I don't want you to move in if you're not ready though."

"That's the thing." I chuckle "I _am_ ready. I can get from place to place on my own when I'm in my chair. You saw last week that if I _really_ need to, I can edge around furniture like a toddler if I need to get somewhere my chair can't take me-"

"And you sliced your forehead open." He reminds me

"Hey." I shush him "I don't plan on their being sliding glass doors all over the place."

"There's a sliding glass door in the apartment, out to the balcony, remember?"

"Well just don't put a rug in front of it and I'll have nothing to trip over."

"Touché."

"I'm ready, Robbie." I nod "Or at least I'm ready to start getting ready. If you know what I mean by that."

"Yeah." He laughs "We can start slowly transitioning you, how does that sound?"

"How slow is slowly?" I ask

I don't want it to take forever.

"Weeknights and weekends we can pack stuff up and move it over." He tells me "Because I've gotta work, and so do our friends."

"That sounds okay." I smirk "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"What about this one?" Tori asks, holding up one of my old dresses

"Um..." I hesitate "Donate. It's too small for me now anyways..."

"Kay." She tosses it into the cardboard box marked 'Donate'.

She and Jade are helping me clean out my childhood bedroom and pack up what I need to take with me to the apartment. Everything else is either being donated, thrown out, or left here.

I can't remember the last time I was in this room, since I've been staying in the sunroom since the accident, I haven't been able to get upstairs. But my dad carried me up here before he left for work this morning, so we could get working.

"Jet Vroom coupons that expired four years ago..." Jade sighs, going through a stack of papers on my desk

"Trash." I laugh "Hey, what else is over there?"

"A high school report card..." She tells me "Uh...looks like some old homework, a couple books..."

"Cat when was the last time you cleaned your room?"

"Well..." I sigh, thinking "We moved into the loft, what? Sophomore year of college? So probably that previous summer."

"That explains a lot."

"Hey!" I laugh "Okay, when was the last time you cleaned _your_ bedroom at your parents house?"

"Point taken." Tori nods

"You know..." Jade chuckles "I don't think I cleaned it even when I lived there."

"Well now you have a whole house to take care of." Tori pats her on the back as she moves around her to grab a box

"It's a townhouse." Jade corrects her "It's just barely bigger than Cat and Robbie's apartment."

"No it's way bigger."

"I said barely bigger."

"Whatever,"

"Guys." I groan "Stop it."

"Sorry." They apologize

"Well..." I sigh "The dresser is officially empty."

Most of the clothes in it didn't fit me anyways.

"Great." Jade smiles "You can help me with the desk."

"I can't believe this is really happening." I admit "We're moving in together, we're getting married!"

"You two are so lucky." Tori pouts

"Hey look at it this way, you're the last one." Jade tells her "So by default, you're next!"

"Not helping."

"I tried." Jade shrugs


	40. Chapter 40

Cat's POV

"Cat." Robbie insists "Let me carry that."

"And let you drop it?" I chuckle, setting the box on my lap "No thanks."

"Come on. I can take it."

"You're already holding the leash and carrying two boxes. This one isn't that heavy." I tell him "It's fine, really."

"Alright fine."

I roll my chair forward towards the entrance to the apartment complex, stopping to hit the button that opens the handicap door. Robbie walks in in front of me with Arlo, then I follow them in and to the elevators.

"Has he ever ridden in an elevator?" I ask Robbie as the doors open

"I dunno." He shrugs, glancing down at Arlo "I don't think so."

"Oh they're so fun." I coo to the dog, cupping his face in my hands "Huh, bud? Aren't elevators fun?"

"Until they get stuck..." Robbie mumbles

"Oh shut up." I laugh "We're fine."

"Could this thing move any slower?" He sighs "These boxes are heavy."

"And you wanted to take a third." I tease as we arrive at the second floor "C'mon Arlo, let's go see our new house!"

"Here." Robbie hands me the leash as we exit the elevator car "Go ahead, I think it's unlocked."

"C'mon bud!" I grin, rolling ahead of Robbie

I don't know why I'm so excited for this particular trip to the apartment. It's not like I've never been there or anything. But maybe it's because I'm actually moving in now. Or because it's the first time we've brought Arlo along. I don't know, I'm excited.

I open the door and roll inside with Arlo, Robbie behind us. I let go of the leash and let Arlo roam free.

"Aw he's exploring!" I smile

"You're giggly today." Robbie smirks, setting the boxes down in the living room "Are you on new medication?"

"No." I laugh, shaking my head "I'm just in a really good mood."

"I like it when you're in a good mood." He leans down and kisses me

"Me too."

"So what's in these boxes?" He asks, turning around and opening one of them up "Where do they go?"

"Uhhhh..." I try to remember, rolling up next to him and trying to peak into the open box "I dunno. I can't see."

"Looks like mainly clothes." He tells me "Just want me to put them in our room?"

"Sure." I shrug, following him as he moves to the bedroom "Oh. Looks like someone has made himself comfortable on our bed."

"Aw, Arlo." Robbie groans

"Oh he's fine." I roll my eyes "Aren't you, bud? Huh? You sleep in bed with Mommy sometimes, don't you? Every once and a while..."

"As long as it's only every once and a while." Robbie chuckles "No offense Arlo, I'd rather snuggle with Cat than with you."

"Aw, all three of us can fit." I assure him "I mean, it's a king sized bed."

"Wanna try it out, tonight?" He asks

"Hm?"

"Do you and Arlo want to stay here with me tonight?"

"Sure." I grin "We'd like that."

"So would I." He smiles "But that's my side of the bed, Arlo. Nice try."

"It's so much easier to walk in here!" I smile

* * *

Our apartment complex has a pool, so Robbie and I decided to try it, since neither of us have been in it yet.

"I've heard that it's because there's less pressure being put on your muscles." Robbie tells me as he guides me around the shallow end "Or, something like that."

"You're so smart." I turn and kiss him

"Thanks." He blushes "Do you wanna try walking on your own?"

"Can't hurt." I shrug "You'll save me if I fall and start drowning, right?"

"Of course." He chuckles, slowly releasing his grip on my waist "Alright, you're free. Give it a go."

"Kay."

I take a step forward, and it's not as shaky as it would be if I were to make this attempt on dry land. My legs still feel stiff, and it still hurts a little bit, but to more just uncomfortable, rather than painful.

"I'm walking!" I exclaim

"Yeah!" Robbie laughs, swimming around me, then a few feet in front of me and standing up again "You are!"

"This is great!"

I'm walking on my own, I really am.

I take a few more steps forward. There's a slight dip in the bottom of the pool and I trip over it. Luckily, Robbie is right there and I fall into him, laughing hysterically.

"Are you okay?" He asks me

"Yeah yeah." I laugh "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" He chuckles

"Yup!"

"Alright." He moves from standing up to kneeling

It's shallow enough that most of his torso is still above the water, whereas only about half of mine is. My legs are submerged, so it's not that difficult for me to move them and wrap them around his waist. He looks down, leaning his forehead against mine.

"We're gonna be married soon." I whisper

"Yeah." He smiles "I can't wait."

"Me neither." I giggle, giving him a quick peck on the lips "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

 ** _Hey y'all. So ideas on this story are sorta running thin...so instead of giving you like four weeks worth of filler chapters, I think I might just skip to the wedding in the next few chapters and then possibly start work on a sequel._**


	41. Chapter 41

_Robbie's POV_

"Cat?" I knock on the door to the sunroom "Are you almost ready? We're going to be late!"

"Just give me two more minutes!"

Our wedding rehearsal starts in half an hour and she's still not ready to go. The door to the bathroom has been closed since I got home from picking up my tux, and when I tried to go in, she shrieked and demanded I leave before I even got one foot in the door. That was an hour ago. I don't even know what she's _doing_ in there.

"Hey Robbie?"

"Yes?"

"You can open the door now, if ya want."

"Why can't you do it?" I tease

"Cuz." She sighs "That takes a lotta energy, and I gotta stand up and walk around all night."

"Okay." I chuckle "I'm coming in."

"Kay."

I open the door and step inside, and I'm immediately amazed by what I see.

Cat's signature red velvet hair is gone, replaced with a dark brown color.

"Wow." I gasp

"Is it totally awful?" She panics

"No!" I exclaim "No, Cat, baby. It looks fantastic."

"Really?"

"Really." I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her forehead "Is that where you went with Cat and Tori this morning?"

"Yeah." She whispers "It'll be easier to get a job this way."

"A job."

"Yeah." She looks up at me "I'm going to start looking when we get back from the honeymoon."

"Okay." I smile "Come on, we should get going. Everybody is probably waiting for us."

"Alright." She loops her arm around mine and we slowly make our way out of the bathroom

Walking independently is still a tiny struggle for her. Luckily, her father will walk her down the isle tomorrow, she'll be able to stand on her own at the alter , and then she'll walk back down the isle with me.

"Do you want to bring your chair?" I ask, handing her purse to her

"No." She shakes her head "I won't need it tonight."

"I'm only saying as a precaution." I sigh "Just in case."

"No." She insists

"Alright, fine." I surrender "But you have to bring it tomorrow."

"I know..." She groans as I open the door "I know."

I know there's absolutely no way Cat will survive the entire day tomorrow on her feet. As much as she will argue it, she's just doesn't have the muscular stamina yet. So she gets to walk down the isle, stand at the alter, and dance our first dance, but any other time, she'll be in her chair.

She _really_ wanted to be out the entire time. We fought about it for a solid week, and her parents took my side. There were tears shed, but eventually, with the help of her physical therapist, we were able to convince her that even being able to walk down the isle was a huge accomplishment she should be proud of.

"Where are you staying tonight?" She asks me as we exit the apartment and start towards the elevator.

"Tori and Andre's." I tell her "Tori and Jade are coming to stay with you, right?"

Since it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding, and Cat and I live together, I decided to spend the night at the loft and give her the apartment.

"Right." She nods "God, can you believe at this time tomorrow, we'll be at the reception?"

"And we'll be married." I remind her

"Yeah." She grins "We'll be married."

* * *

I smile as Cat makes her way down the isle with her father. Even though this is just the practice run, I still feel like I'm on top of the world.

In less than twenty four hours, I'm marrying her.

It's so surreal. I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

When they reach me, Mr. Valentine helps Cat steady herself in front of me. She reaches out and grabs my hands for balance, smiling at me.

"So this is when we'll start the ceremony." The priest tells us "We'll do an introduction, the vows, the rings and that's when he says..."

"I do." I laugh as he gestures to me

"And then she says..." He gestures to Cat

She doesn't respond, she's just staring blankly down towards my feet.

"Cat?" I say "Are you okay?"

Cat let's out a small whimper as she falls over, collapsing into me, eyes closes.

"Oh shit!" I panic, not even caring that we're in a church right now "Cat? Cat! Hey come on, what's the matter?"

"She passed out!" Jade exclaims, coming over to help "Do you really expect her to answer you?"

"Let's get her to a pew." The priest suggests "Lay her down in the first row."

Beck comes over and helps me move Cat to the first row of pews so she's laying down.

"What to we do?" Tori asks "Do we call 911?"

"Maybe." Andre shrugs "How long does someone need to be passed out for in order for it to be an emergency?"

"Well is she breathing?"

"Yeah." I kneel down next to the bench "She's breathing. How do you wake someone up who's passed out?"

No one has time to answer the question because Cat coughs and slowly begins to open her eyes, startling me and causing me to fall backwards. Tori and Jade rush over to her.

"Hey hey!" Beck stops them "Don't crowd her, give her some air."

"What happened?" Cat asks

"You passed out." I tell her, getting close to her again "Are you okay?"

"I just felt so light headed..." She sighs "And then everything went black. Maybe because I've been on my feet all day."

"Come on." Mr. Valentine comes over and helps her stand up "Let's go outside for a few minutes, some fresh air will do you good."

"Okay." Cat nods "Thank you."

"No problem, sweetheart."

I watch as they make their way out of the sanctuary, walking slowly towards the doors.

"Jade!" I get my friend's attention "Tori! Come here."

"What's up?" Tori asks, letting go of Andre's hand and walking over to me

"Yeah." Jade adds "What's up?'

"Tomorrow." I tell them "You have to make sure Cat is taking care of herself, okay? Make sure she eats, make sure she's in her chair when she needs to be in her chair. Make her drink lots of water, stuff like that, alright? If something like this happens tomorrow then I don-"

"Robbie." Jade stops me "We're on it."

"Yeah." Tori agrees "We've got it covered."


	42. Chapter 42

_Cat's POV_

I wake up slowly, but once I realize what day it is, my eyes shoot open and I'm wide awake.

"Guys!" I exclaim

"Five more minutes." Jade groans, rolling over

"Make it ten." Tori agrees

"No!" I laugh, sitting up "I'm getting married today!"

"We know."

"Come on!" I grab my pillow and start to hit Jade with it "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Okay I'm up!" Jade exclaims "Stop hitting me!"

"Sorry." I apologize "I'm just excited!"

"Really?" Tori laughs "I never would've figured."

"I'm getting married today!" I repeat, grinning

"We know, Cat." Jade laughs "We know."

"What time are our hair appointments again?" Tori asks

"11:30!" I tell her

"We better start getting ready then."

* * *

"You look stunning sweetheart." My mom smiles, tears in her eyes "Just like a princess."

"Thanks, Mom." I say as a tear starts to roll down her cheek "Oh no, Mom! Don't cry! If you cry, I'll cry!"

"Sorry." She wipes it away "It's just...when we got that call all those months ago...I didn't think I'd ever get to see you get married. And now it's actually happening."

I open my arms for her to hug me, and she does. Just as the organ music inside the church starts to play.

"I better get inside." She tells me, kissing my cheek "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too."

The door to the church open, and Tori and Andre start to make their way down the isle with Arlo, clad in his little pink bow tie I had to practically wrestle him into.

"You ready?" Jade smiles

"The butterflies are normal, right?" I ask

"Yes." She laughs "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

When it's her and Beck's turn to enter, she give me one last reassuring look before making her entrance.

"Let's get you ready." My dad grins

He extends his arms to me and helps me out of my chair, making sure I've gained balance before walking me over to the doors.

"I just want you to know..." He sighs "That no matter what, you're always going to be my little girl, okay?"

"Okay Daddy." I smile

Now it's my turn to walk down the isle. When I enter in the back of the church, everyone turns to look at me. I don't feel self conscious, I feel proud. Five months ago, we didn't even know if it would be possible for me to even walk again ever. But here I am, walking down the isle at my wedding.

I catch a glimpse of Robbie, grinning ear to ear. He's going to be my husband in a matter of moments and I'm so incredibly happy for that.

It takes me about five minutes to walk all the way to the alter, about four minutes and thirty seconds longer than it would take the average bride. But that's okay.

"Who gives this woman away?" The priest asks my father

"Her mother and I do." My dad says

The priest nods, and my dad hands me off to Robbie, then goes to sit next to my mom.

"You look beautiful." Robbie whispers

"Thank you." I grin

"Friends..." The priest greets everyone "Family. Welcome. As I'm sure most of you may know, the past five months or so haven't been easy for Cat and Robbie. They were both involved in a car accident that left Cat in an awful condition. There was a high chance that she'd never walk again, but as you just saw, she overcame that, with the help of all of you, and of Robbie. They've both said that this was an experience that only made their love for each other grow, and realize just how important love really is to both of them."

"Cat and Robbie, the years will come and go…you won't take each other for granted, you will laugh a lot, you will learn a lot, you will grow older and wiser together. It's a good story, and the ending is not in sight."

I smile at Robbie, and he smiles back.

"Cat, if you would repeat after me..." The priest instructs " I, Cat, take you Robbie to be my husband."

"I, Cat, take you Robbie to be my husband." I repeat

"I will share my life with yours, Build our dreams together, Support you through times of trouble, and rejoice with you in times of happiness."

"I will share my life with yours, Build our dreams together, Support you through times of trouble, and rejoice with you in times of happiness." I smile

"I promise to give you respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of our lives together..."

"I promise to give you respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of our lives together."

"Now it's Robbie's turn." The priest turns "Please repeat after me: I, Robbie, take you Cat to be my wife."

"I, Robbie, take you Cat to be my wife." Robbie grins to me

"I will share my life with yours, Build our dreams together, Support you through times of trouble, and rejoice with you in times of happiness."

"I will share my life with yours, Build our dreams together, Support you through times of trouble, and rejoice with you in times of happiness." He promises

"I promise to give you respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of our lives together..."

"I promise to give you respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of our lives together."

I feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. This is happening, I'm really getting married.

"May I have the rings?" The priest asks

Andre steps forward and hands him both wedding bands. Since we couldn't exactly trust Arlo to keep track of them, we entrusted the best man with the task.

"Robbie, do you take Cat to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Robbie grins.

"Cat, do you take Robbie to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish his friendship and love him today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor him, laugh with him and cry with him? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"The wedding ring symbolizes unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end. And today Robbie and Cat exchange these rings as confirmation of their vows to join their lives, to work at all times to create a life that is complete and unbroken and to love each other unconditionally. Robbie , take this ring and place it on your bride's finger, and state your pledge to her, repeating after me:"

"With this ring I thee wed.  
I offer you my hand, and my heart as I know they will be safe with you.  
All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you." He whispers and slides the silver ring onto my finger.

"Cat" the priest says turning now to hand me Robbie's ring "take this ring and place it on your groom's finger, and state your pledge to him, repeating after me"

"With this ring I thee wed.  
I offer you my hand, and my heart as I know they will be safe with you.  
All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you." I smile, and slide his ring on

"By the power vested in me by the state of California and the city of Los Angeles..." The priest grins "I now pronounce you husband and wife! Robbie, you may kiss the bride."

"C'mere." He smirks, pulling me close to him and pressing a kiss to my lips

"We're married." I gasp "Robbie! We're married!"

"Yeah." He laughs "We are."

"Hey." I stop him "Thank you so much."

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me." I remind him "You could've run when things got tough, and you stayed. Thank you, I love you so much."

"I love you too." He kisses me again

I'm not fully recovered, I may never be. But for the time being, that doesn't matter. I just married my best friend, the greatest man I could ever hope for. I know that he'll be by my side for the rest of the ride, every step of the way. And for that, I'm extremely grateful.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shapiro!"

"Are you ready?" Robbie looks at me

"Yeah." I nod "I'm ready, let's go."

And then, with only a little assistance from Robbie, I take my first step back up the isle.

* * *

 _ **The End!**_

 _ **I know, it was kind of an abrupt ending, I realize that. But I was running out of ideas and I had a great idea for a sequel, so I've started working on that, if that's something y'all would be interested in. It will probably be up sometime in the next two weeks, because I'm about to get CRAZY busy, but we'll see what happens.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, it means so much to me! You guys are fantastic!**_

 _ **XOXO**_


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